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BIBLE DOCTRINE 






BIBLE DOCTRINE 

A Treatise on 

THE GREAT DOCTRINES OF THE BIBLE 

pertaining to 

God, Angels, Satan, the Church, and the 
Salvation, Duties and Destiny of Man 



***** 



COMPILED 
by a committee appointed by 

MENNONITE GENERAL CONFERENCE 

Daniel Kauffman, Editor 



***** 



All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable 

for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for 

instruction in righteousness. — II Tim- 3 :16. 



***** 



Published by 



MENNONITE PUBLISHING HOUSE 
Scottdale - - Penn'a. 

1914 






Copyright, 1914 
Mennonite Publishing House 
Scottdale, Pa. 



SEP 30 1914 



CI.Atf80628 






-to 

it ' 



€& ®xtx ^vAhzxs t 

Whose faithfulness and self-sacrificing efforts 
have left us a precious heritage; 

Who at this time are bearing "the burden and 
heat of the day:" 



€it ©ttr Jltmmg ^upl?, 



The present promise of the future Church, and 
of whom God expects loyal service ; 

CJtis Qxilumz is ^fftttixmnUh^ Inszxibzb. 



PREFACE 

At a regular meeting of the Mennonite General Confer- 
ence, held at the B lough Church, Johnstown, Pa., Oct. 25 and 
26, 1911, a committee of ten was appointed to prepare a work 
on Christian doctrine, setting forth, from a scriptural stand- 
point, those things most commonly believed among us. The 
design of the work was not to serve as a confession of faith, 
but rather as an exposition of the doctrines which a confession 
of faith ought to contain. Following are the names of the 
committee appointed : A. D. Wenger, Fentress, Va. ; D. J. 
Johns, Goshen, Ind. ; George R. Brunk, Denbigh, Va. ; A. P. 
Heatwole, Waynesboro, Va. ; Noah H. Mack, New Holland, 
Pa.; D. D. Miller, Middlebury, Ind.; D. H. Bender, Hesston, 
Kans. ; S. E. Allgyer, West Liberty, Ohio. ; J. E. Hartzler, 
Goshen, Ind. ; Daniel KaufTman, Scottdale, Pa. 

The committee organized at once and entered upon its 
duties. A table of contents was prepared and writers chosen to 
prepare the several chapters. How well, or how poorly, we 
succeeded in carrying out our commission we shall leave to the 
kind reader to judge. Our gratitude is due to the writers of 
the chapters herein considered, to the brethren who have so 
kindly favored us with their counsel, to the writers of the 
numerous books consulted in the preparation of the volume, 
and above all to the loving heavenly Father whose sustaining 
grace made this work possible. 

In our acknowledgement to the authors consulted in the 
preparation of this work, our first acknowledgment is due the 
Divine Author of the one BOOK of revelation from heaven, 
which Book was our constant companion and instructor and 
foundation from beginning to end. Besides this, and besides a 
number of books by Mennonite authors, and commentaries and 



8 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

reference books usually found in the ordinary Bible student's 
library, the following are among the authors and works 
consulted: What the Bible Teaches — Torrey; Systematic The- 
ologies — Clarke, Brown, Hodge, Wakefield, Evans, Strong; 
Encyclopedias — Schaff-Herzog, Britannica, Inglis, etc.; Public 
Worship — Pattison ; Theopnpustia — Gaussen ; Ecclesiology — 
Johnson ; The World and its God — Mauro ; Wahres Christen- 
dum — Arndt; People's Bible — Parker. 

We believe that the Bible was given to be studied, to be 
obeyed, to be profited by; that there are too many Bible 
doctrines which are too lightly esteemed by the Christ-pro- 
fessing world, and too many "commandments of men" imposed 
upon humanity as Bible doctrines ; that the doctrines herein 
set forth are the teachings of God's Word, and should be 
prayerfully studied and willingly put to practical use by all 
people. It was with these convictions, and with the hope that 
the seeker after truth, especially the young, might get a clearer 
insight into these God-inspired truths, that the writing of this 
book was undertaken. 

Perhaps some readers will see things herein considered 
that they would like to have had treated at greater length. 
Other themes that you would like to have seen considered may 
scarcely be mentioned at all, while still others may occupy more 
space than their importance merits. Whatever shortcomings 
you may find may be attributed either to limited space in the 
book or limited judgment on the part of those having the 
preparation of this volume in charge. Our aim was to use 
the space to best advantage, give preference to those themes 
which under existing circumstances seem most in need of 
consideration, and from this view-point cover as wide a field 
as possible. With the hope that God may bless this feeble 
effort to the strengthening of the cause of Christ and the 
Church among men, we humbly submit this present volume to 
the prayerful consideration of the reading public. 

D. K. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PART I. GOD AND MAN 

Chapter I. GOD 21—46 

1. Theories as to how He is Revealed 21 

2. The Existence and Being of God 25 

3. His Divine Attributes 26 

4. The Divinity and Humanity of Christ 37 

5. The Holy Spirit 40 

6. The Trinity in Unity — Three in One 42 

Chapter II. THE CREATION 47—62 

1. The Fact of Creation — the Divine Handiwork __ 47 

2. The Order of the Creation 51 

3. In. the Beginning — in Six Days — the Sabbath 53 

4. Important Truths concerning the Creation 58 

Chapter III. MAN 63^76 

1. His Origin 63 

2. Hiis Makeup 64 

3. The Ideal Mian 70 

4. The Fall 72 

5. The Promise 74 

6. The Mission of Man 74 

7. Future Destiny 75 

Chapter IV. ANGELS 77—87 

1. Their Origin 78 

2. Their great Number 79 

3. Attributes 79 

4. Offices and Work — - 83 

5. What the Bible does not Teach 85 

6. Eternal Destiny 87 

Chapter V. THE BIBLE — 88—128 

1. A Revelation from God 88 

2. Names, Titles, and Symbols 89 

3. Its Structure and Divisions 

4. The Alphabetical Arrangement of the O. T. 93 

5. Unity and Design 94 

6. The Inspiration of the Bible 100 



10 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

7. Erroneous Theories 105 

8. Plenary Inspiration 108 

9. How We Got Our Bible 116 

Chapter VI. THE LORD'S DAY 129—142 

1. Need for the Day 129 

2. The Day in History 130 

3. Observations 133 

. 4. Why We Observe the First Day of the Week __ 134 

5. Counsel for Our Times 138 

6. Some Questions Answered 141 

PART II. SATAN AND HIS WORKS 
Chapter I. SATAN , 145—157 

1. Introductory Thoughts 145 

2. His Personality 147 

3. The Author of Evil 148 

4. His Power and Influence 150 

5. His Unfathomable Enmity 151 

6. His Devices 152 

7. His Limitations and Destiny 156 

Chapter II. TEMPTATION 158—169 

1.. Origin of Temptation 158 

2. Jesus the Deliverer 160 

3. The Tempter's Avenues to the Soul 162 

4. Overcoming Temptation ; 166 

5. The Greatest Temptation 169 

Chapter III. SIN 170—180 

1. Its Effect upon Man 171 

2. Man's Relation to Sin 175 

3. The Perpetuation of Sin 177 

4. The Guilt of Sin 178 

5. Punishment for Sin _ 178 

PART III. THE PLAN OF SALVATION 
Chapter I. REDEMPTION 183— 19S 

1. Definition 183 

2. The Fall of Man - 184 

3. From what was Man Redeemed? 185 

4. Results of Redemption 189 

5. How Accomplished 180 

6. Extent of the Redemption 191 

7. Three Erroneous Views 192 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 11 

Chapter II. THE ATONEMENT 194—212 

1. Definition 194 

2. Objections Answered , 196 

3. The Condition of Man far away from God 197 

4. The Need and Purpose of the Atonement 199 

5. How Accomplished 200 

6. That Man's Salvation is so Frequently and Con- 

stantly Referred to His Death 201 

7. The Scriptural Teaching that Christ Redeemed Us 202 

8. The Scriptural Teaching on Christ as Priest 204 

9. The Fact that Christ is Called a Sacrifice 204 

10. Nature and Extent of the Atonement 206 

11. Conclusion 212 

Chapter III. FAITH 213—223 

1. Definition 213 

2. The Objects of Christian Faith 214 

3. Two Kinds of Faith 215 

4. Results of a Faithless Life 219 

5. The Work of Faith 220 

6. How is Faith Obtained? 222 

Chapter IV. REPENTANCE , 224—232 

1. Definition 224 

2. Repentance, Genuine and Evangelical 225 

3. Avenues of Repentance 228 

4. The Fruit of Repentance 230 

5. The Fruit of Neglect 232 

Chapter V. JUSTIFICATION .___ 233—238 

1. Definition 233 

2. Nature and Prerequisites of Justification 234 

3. Fruits of Justification 235 

4. The Process of Accomplishment 237 

Chapter VI. CONVERSION 239—247 

1. Definition 239 

2. The Age of and Motives in Conversion 239 

3. Stepping Stones to Conversion 240 

4. ^Method of Accomplishment 241 

5. Necessity of Conversion 244 

6. Results of Conversion — 245 

7. Some Mistaken Views 246 

Chapter VII. REGENERATION ____, 248—257 

1. Definition 248 

2. What Regeneration is not 249 

3. Regeneration: What it is 250 



12 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

4. How Accomplished 253 

5. Eleven Birth-marks 254 

6. Who Need Regeneration? 256 

Chapter VIII. SANCTIFICATION 258—271 

1. Definition 258 

2. Different Kinds and Different Agents ' of Sancti- 

fication 260 

3. The Means of Christian Sanctincat'ion 262 

4. Time of Sanctification 264 

5. Manifestations of Christian Sanctification 267 

6. Some Erroneous Views Examined 268 

Chapter IX. ADOPTION 272—277 

1. New Testament Doctrine 273 

2. The Blessings of Adoption _ — 274 

3. Manifest Results of Adoption 276 

PART IV. THE CHURCH 

Chapter I. THE CHURCH 281—301 

1. Historical and Prophetical 282 

2. Church Organization 283 

3. Gospel Requirements for Admission 286 

4. Church Government 288 

5. Forms of Church Government 292 

6. Relation between Church and State 296 

7. The Mission of the Church 299 

Chapter II. THE MINISTRY 302—334 

1. The Purpose T — 302 

2. The Chief Aim 303 

3. Qualifications of the Ministry 304 

4. Offices of the Ministry 312 

5. The Call to the Ministry 316 

0. How the Call is Recognized 318 

7. The Minister's Preparation 322 

8. The Work of the Ministry 325 

9. Support of the Ministry 327 

10. Is Scriptural 328 

11. Against a Stipulated Salary 330 

Chapter III. THE CONGREGATION 335—349 

1. Introductory 335 

2. Governmental Authority 337 

3. Congregational Duties 338 

4. The Layman's Opportunity 344 

5. Building up the Congregation 346 



TABLE OF CONTENTS H 

PART V. CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES 

Chapter I. BAPTISM 353—388 

1. Ceremonial Cleansing in the Law 353 

2. Messianic Baptism 357 

3. Infant Baptism 37& 

4. Baptism in History 379 

5. Concluding Thoughts 387 

Chapter II. THE COMMUNION 389—403 

1. Meaning and Use 389 

2. Some Theories Examined 393 

3. Other Things Connected with the Communion __ 400 

Chapter III. FEET WASHING 404—415 

1. Descriptive Notes . 404 

2. Feet Washing as a Custom 406 

3. Feet Washing as an Ordinance 407 

4. Purpose of its Literal Observance 408 

5. A Distinguishing Mark of a Worthy Widow 411 

6. Why suc'h a Command? 411 

7. How long shall Man Continue to Observe the 

Ordinance? 412 

8. Some Questions Answered 412" 

Chapter IV. THE DEVOTIONAL COVERING 416—427 

1. Introductory Thoughts 416 

2. An Exposition of I Cor. 11:1-16 417 

3. Concluding Thoughts 424 

Chapter V. THE CHRISTIAN SALUTATION 428—432 

1. The Personal Greeting 428 

2. The Right Hand of Fellowship 429 

3. The Holy Kiss 429 

Chapter VI. ANOINTING WITH OIL 433—438 

1. Anointing for Healing Purposes 433 

a. New Testament Authority . — 433 

b. A Religious Ceremony 434 

c. Is this a Command? , 434 

d. Purpose o'f the Anointing 435 

e. "Thy will be done" 437 

Chapter VII. MARRIAGE 439—456 

1. Why Marriage was Instituted x - 439 

2. What Constitutes Marriage? 440 

3. Sacredness of Marriage 444 

4. Who should Consider this Question? 44$ 



.14 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

5. Intermarriage among Members of Different De r 

nominations 447 

7. After t'he Wedding, what? • 448 

8. Divorce and Remarriage 450 

9. What to Teach Our Young People __ 453 



PART VI. CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 
(Duties and Restrictions) 

Chapter I. OBEDIENCE „_ 459— 469 

1. General Observations 459 

2. A Right Obedience 461 

3v Partial Obedience 463 

; -v 4. Delegated Authority 466 

•-.;■.■ 5. Results 468 

Chapter II. SELF-DENIAL 470—485 

1. 'Scripture Terms Implying Self-denial 470 

2. The Meaning — 472 

3. The Fundamental Truth of Godliness 473 

4. An Original Principle in God's Dealing with men 474 

5. Embodied in Patriarchal Government 475 

6. The Mosaical Teachings 476 

7. 'Christ's Teachings : 478 

8. The Apostolic Teachings 481 

9. In the Light of t'he Christian's Hope 482 

.10. Things to be Denied 483 

11. Conclusion 484 

Chapter III. WORSHIP 486—493 

• 1. Old Testament Worship 488 

a. Subject-matter of Psalms 489 

,b. Temple Worship- 489 

c. Prayer . 489 

d. Reverence 490 

e. Synagogue Worship : 490 

- 2. New Testament Worship __, 491 

a. Christ Our Teacher and Example 491 

b. Christian Ordinances _ 491 

,c. Apostolic Churc'h Worship ., 492 

d. Holy, Ghost Dispensation . >, • 492 

e. Requirements of True Worship , 492 

f. Methods ---.-•?.'• 493 

g. What it Means to Worship .„+ /: . 493 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 15 

Chapter IV. PERSONAL WORK 494—509 

1. Importance and Need of Personal Work 494 

2. Who should do Personal Work? ^ 496 

3. Conditions for Effective Work 497 

4. When and Where s'hould Personal Work be done? 499 

5. How to Work 503 

6. Precepts for Workers 508 

Chapter V. NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD 510—534 

1. Foundation for the Doctrine 510 

2. The Spirit of the Age not to be Patterned after 511 

a. "Earthly" 512 

b. "Sensual" 516 

c. "Devilish" 520 

3. Protecting the Church against Worldliness 523 

4. Subjects for special Consideration 526 

a. "Unspotted from the World" 526 

b. The Unequal Yoke 527 

c. Bible Teaching on Dress 528 

5. Nonconformity Pointers 532 

Chapter VI. NONRESISTANCE _____ 535—549 

1. The Doctrine Presented 535 

2. Further Observations 537 

3. A Few Questions Considered 544: 

4. Practical Nonresistance 549 

Chapter VII. SWEARING OF OATHS 550—559 

1. Origin and Nature 550 

2. Terrible Abuses 557 

3. "Rightly Dividing the Word" 552 

4. "What Saith the Scripture?" 553 

5. Quest-ions and Answers 556 

6. Conclusion 558 

Chapter VIII. SECRET SOCIETIES 560—574 

1. The Foundations of the Lodge 561 

2. Secrecy 562 

3. Respect of Persons 563 

4. The Lodge's God 564 

5. Lodge Oaths 565 

6. Anti-Christian Prayers 567 

7. The Lodge Idea of Heaven 569 

8. The Attitude of the Church toward the Lodge 570 
Chapter IX. LIFE INSURANCE 575—587 

1. From a Religious Standpoint 575 

a. An Exposition of I Tim. 5:8 575 



16 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

b. The Work of the Church 576 

c. Where Life Insurance Falls Short 577 

2. From a Social Standpoint 582 

3. From a Financial or Business Standpoint 583 

4. Conclusion 585 



PART VII. CHRISTIAN GRACES 
Chapter I. LOVE 591—603 



Definitions 591 

Love and Hatred Contrasted 593 

Love Manifested 595 

The Power off Love 598 

The Work of Love 600 

Whom shall We Love? 601 

Conclusion 602 



Chapter II. HUMILITY 604—615 

1. False Humility 604 

2. Christ Our Perfect Pattern 605 

3. How Saints Obtain Humility 608 

4. How Saints Retain Humility 609 

5. Evidences of Humility 610 

6. Blessings of Humility 611 

7. Power of Humility . 613 

Chapter III. PURITY 616—625 

1. Its Source 616 

2. The Saints, as Holy Vessels — 617 

a. A Pure Mind 619 

b. Pure Speech 621 

c. Pure Associations 622 

3. How Promote the Cause of Purity 623 

Chapter IV. HOPE 626—638 

1. How the Word "Hope" is Used in Scripture — 626 

2. An Act of the Will -,■ 627 

3. The Object or End of Our Faith -. 628 

4. A Means of Obtaining the End of Faith — _ . 628 

5. Relation of Hope to Faith . 629 

6. The Assurance of Hope 630 

7. The Possession of Hope 633 

8. Present Realization of Hope 635 

9. Future Hopes to be Realized !— 635 

10. A Blessing to the Believer's Life -— - 637 



TABLE OF CONTENTS V 

PART VIII. FUTURE DESTINY OF MAN 

Chapter I. FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 641—667 

1. Death 642 

a. The Origin of Death 642 

•b. Description of Natural Death 643 

c. Description of Spiritual Death 644 

d. Some Errors Noted 644 

e. Is Death Cruel? 647 

2. Second Coming of Christ 649 

a. The Doctrine Stated 649 

b. Time of His Advent 649 

c. Signs of His Coming 649 

d. Effect of the Second Advent 652 

e. How the Knowledge that He is Coming again 

should Affect Our Lives 653 

3. The Resurrection 654 

a. The Dcctrine Stated 654 

■b. An Old Testament Doctrine 655 

c. A New Testament Doctrine 656 

d. Proofs of the Resurrection 656 

e. 'Some Errors Noted 657 

f. A General Resurrection 659 

g. "The Resurrection of Life" 660 

h. "The Resurrection off Damnation" _! 660 

4. The Judgment 661 

a. An Old Testament Doctrine 661 

b. A New Testament Doctrine 662 

c. The Reasonableness of the Judgment 663 

d. The Judge 663 

e. The Judged 664 

f. The Judgment 666 

Chapter II. HELL 668—680 

1. Definitions 668 

2. Description of the Lake of Fire 669 

3. For Whom Prepared 669 

4. Who will Go There? 670 

5. Who are in Danger of Goiing there? 672 

6. The Doomed in Hell 674 

7. "The Ways of Death" 676 

8. The Warning 679 



18 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Chapter III. HEAVEN 681—692 

1. Definitions 681 

2. How Characterized _- 682 

3. 'Conditions 684 

4. Fit Subjects for Heaven 686 

5. The Way to Glory 688 

6. Inhabitants 689 

7. Concluding Thoughts 690 



PART I 
God and Man 



CHAPTERS 



I GOD 
II THE CREATION 

III MAN 

IV ANGELS 

V THE BIBLE 
VI THE LORD'S DAY 



J. S. Hartzler 

J. D. Charles 

Daniel Kauffman 

Daniel Kauffman 

J. B. Smith 

Geo. R. Brunk 



GOD AND MAN 

The whole history of the Universe centers around these 
two words. The heaven above, the earth beneath, life in all 
its varied forms, all the knowledge of man whether revealed 
or discovered, everything knowable or unknowable, all is 
connected, directly or indirectly, with what God has done for 
man. Hence it is but fitting that we should learn what we 
can concerning this great Being whom we call God; that we 
should learn, meditate, and reverently acknowledge what He 
has done for man. In the succeeding chapters the reader will 
find what the Bible has to say concerning God and what He 
has done and proposes to do for man, the crowning work of 
His creation. He created heaven and earth for our well- 
being and happiness. That we might not miss the goal, He 
gave His only begotten Son to live and to die that we might 
live, and wrote in a Book the things needed for our enlight- 
enment as we journey from earth to glory. He created an 
unnumbered host of celestial beings called angels, to serve 
as His messengers and ministering spirits to the heirs of 
salvation. Still, man is inclined to forget ; to become so- 
absorbed in the material things of this life that he forgets 
about the more important and more glorious things pertain- 
ing to the life to come. Even in this did God manifest His 
wisdom, His goodness, and His love in that He sanctified the 
Sabbath, set apart as one day out of seven in which our 
secular cares should be laid aside and the time devoted to 
worship, holy meditation, resting from daily toil, and re- 
freshing the soul with things pertaining to the world to 
come. Verily, "The Sabbath was made for man." "Glory 
to God in the highest." We can never praise Him enough 
for what He has done for us. 



CHAPTER I 
GOD 

The ETERNAL GOD is thy refuge.— Deut. zy.27. 

"The belief in the existence of God lies at the foundation 
of all religion, and is the only basis of true morality." 

-nWakefield. 

"The fundamental subject 'of the Bible is God." — Jacobus. 

"He that cometh to God must believe that He is." — Bible* 

In the discussion of this topic it is not the aim to convince 
the atheist that there is a God but to enable the Christian to 
so formulate his belief as to make it more useful to himself 
and to prepare him to withstand the temptations instituted by 
the enemies of the cross and by Satan himself. 

Efforts have repeatedly been made to define God. Possibly 
one of the best definitions that has ever been given was one by 
Clarke: "God is the personal Spiirit, perfectly good, who in 
holy love creates, sustains and orders all." This definition is 
wonderfully inclusive but one can not help but feel that it is 
not very comprehensive. Every effort to define seems to 
belittle Him. Being infinite, God is, in the strictest sense, 
indefinable to the finite mind and can be known only in part. 
He must be revealed in some way so that man may know Him 
so far as He can be known. Let us consider, 

Theories as to How He is Revealed 
There are three of these: (1) that the thought of God is 
inborn; (2) that God is revealed through Nature; (3) that 
He is revealed through divine revelation alone. Each of these 
will be considered separately. 

1. That the Thought of God is Inborn. — This theory 
is argued on the basis that all nations have some idea of God 
and that they do not need to be taught of His existence but of 
His will and His works. True, the nations generally have some 



22 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

thought of the existence of a divine Being, but there are many, 
individuals among them who have no such ideas. If the 
thought of God were inborn, that could not be true; for then 
the most savage in darkest heathendom would believe that there 
is a divine Being. But facts are constantly proving the con- 
trary. This theory supposes every atheist to be maliciously 
untrue in saying what in his heart he does not believe. We 
may question his truthfulness but we can not prove that he is 
not sincere. Besides, Psa. 14:1 teaches that there are those 
who believe from the heart that there is no God. He is 
deficient in his senses or he would not be termed a fool, 
nevertheless he says it "in his heart," hence we have no right 
to say that he is not honest, and when God says anything let 
men say, "Amen." It is generally admitted that our knowledge 
is acquired by the use of our faculties. Would it be reasonable 
to believe that this subject is an exception to the rule? 

In the face of the above facts it is evident that we can not 
prove the atheist necessarily dishonest nor that the faith of 
God is inborn, much as the Christian feels that such is the 
case. But we feel too that it is very inconsistent for the sinner 
to stand away from God, and we do not see how he can choose 
such a position, though observation proves daily that such is 
the case. Is the position of the atheist more inconsistent than 
that of the sinner who believes that he may die at any moment 
and that if he died in his present condition he would be lost 
and yet refuses to accept life as a gift? 

2. That God is Revealed through Nature. — This theory, 
like the one preceding it, looks very plausible and it is readily 
admitted that to those who know anything about God, nature 
reveals very much if they search for it, for "the heavens 
declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his 
handiwork;" but like the printed page of a book, it requires 
that the person who is to receive any benefit from its teachings 
must learn its alphabet from some other source. There are 
doubtless a thousand things as yet undiscovered which show 
the existence of a divine Being, but they teach us nothing so 



GOD 23 

long as we do not know of them and the connection they have 
with things which we already know. 

The idea that nature alone would reveal God to man is 
contradicted by the fact that nations and individuals who have 
a faint knowledge about God, when left without any outside 
teaching, tend to lose that knowledge. If nature would bring 
such knowledge to one who is entirely ignorant on that subject, 
it would most surely tend to increase that knowledge after it 
had a beginning. If this theory were true, would it not be 
reasonable to suppose that man without the aid of divine 
revelation might get a fairly good knowledge of the Deity, His 
attributes and His will as it regards man? Nature would 
continue the teaching it had begun with the heathen as it did 
the Jews (Psa. 19:1) and as it does with the Christian today. 
The whole heathen world is a testimony that exactly the 
opposite is true. 

This doctrine pre-supposes a condition of mind and mental 
activity which so far as known has never existed. It suggests 
that a man would become interested in a matter of which he 
knew absolutely nothing, had nothing to aid him in beginning 
such an investigation and then by mere reasoning and observa- 
tion would, step by step, get such information as would finally 
cause him to arrive at a fair comprehension of so great a 
Being. Let us consider what we believe to be the truth on this 
important subject. 

3. That God is Revealed by Divine Revelation Alone. 
— By this is meant that there is no other way in which man 
may, without previous knowledge as a basis, arrive at the true 
conclusion of God and His will toward man. The ways in 
which God revealed Himself to man varied greatly. He came 
to Adam in a voice; to Moses, in a burning bush; to Joseph, 
in a dream ; to Elijah, in a "still small voice ;" and to the 
prophets by inspiration, telling them what to write. Possibly 
the most frequent way which God used in revealing Himself 
during the Old Dispensation was by the voice between the 
cherubim. Here the leaders of Israel would inquire and the 
Lord would answer. From this place came encouragement and. 



24 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

warning, entreaties and denunciations, commands and promises. 
All these revealed the nature and power of God. The law, the 
priesthood as well as every sacrifice offered, even the temple — 
these and many other things connected with the worship of the 
Israelites were constantly revealing God to them as well as to 
the other nations around them. The secular government of 
Israel — showing that prosperity followed obedience, and that 
pestilence, famine or war followed disobedience — also did much 
toward revealing the character of God to both Jew and Gentile. 
Who is in a position to say that these nations who had 
forgotten their God were not reminded of Him by His 
workings with this wonderful nation? 

The Jewish people thought of Him as "the great and 
terrible God." This arose from such passages as Ex. 34:10, 
Deut. 10:17, and Judges 13:6. He was considered a physical 
being with human form with wings added. These thoughts 
came from the use of such words as "face," "back," "heart," 
"voice," "mouth," "foot," "hand," and "wing." But as time 
went on He was revealed more and more. The prophecies 
regarding His Son, did much in aiding the people to understand 
the character of this mighty Ruler. His Fatherhood was not 
shown to the world until it was revealed through the life of 
His Son. 

As this knowledge is given progressively (a fact that is 
generally conceded) the question is frequently asked, Is this 
progression still going on? Opinions are divided on this. 
One class says that the highest revelation that ever was or ever 
will be given to man on this side of the Judgment was given 
at Pentecost. The other class says that as man advances in 
knowledge and as the "earth sheweth his handiwork" the 
revelation of God is constantly growing. They give as an 
illustration the discovery of the circulation of the blood show- 
ing that man is more "fearfully and wonderfully made" than 
the psalmist ever imagined; and that electricity and a hundred 
other things reveal the greatness and goodness of God to us 
while centuries ago they knew nothing of these things. Both 
truth and error are found in these arguments. First, it must 









GOD 25 

be remembered that earthly wisdom never reveals the true 
character of God but that such wisdom, not divinely guidedy 
must necessarily lead to a misconception of such a divine and 
holy Being, and as man studies these things he is inclined to 
forget that the author of all this is the opposite of earthly ; 
secondly, that now as ever, God is revealing Himself through 
His Word and work just as fast as man submits himself to 
Him and becomes filled with His Spirit so that with a spiritual 
mind he may discern these things. They can not be grasped 
otherwise. 

The Existence and Being of God 

Notice again the words of Wakefield at the opening of 
this article: "The belief in the existence of God lies at the 
foundation of all religion." Without God there could be no 
moral obligation, no religion, no hope or fear of the future. 
Vice would be as good as virtue. Necessity would be man's 
only law. Might would make right and man would be little 
better than a brute. Since the existence of God is generally 
accepted let us proceed to study His being. 

He is more than simply a spirit or power. To say that 
"God is a spirit" is sometimes interpreted as simply a power 
or an action, but He is more. It should be remembered that 
there can be no power that is not vested in something; there 
can be no thought without a thinker, no act without an actor, 
and no force without a being; hence we must conclude that 
while God is a Spirit He is also an essence or a being. We 
must not think of that essence as being subject to natural 
laws or governed by earthly principles. Hodge says, "God is 
in His nature a substance or essence which is eternal, infinite, 
and unchangeable; the common subject of all perfections and 
the common agent of all divine acts." 

Some spell God with two o's, and devil by omitting the 
first letter, or. to put it into the language of another, "All the 
good or evil that exists is found in the hearts of men and 
women." If this were true then there could be no Divine, 
hence "no moral obligation, no religion, and no hope or fear 



26 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

for the future." It is very evident that this can not be true. 
God is a being clothed with power and majesty, governed by 
His own will and His chief interest, and so far as this world 
is concerned, man is the noblest work of His hands. 

His Divine Attributes 

By the term, attributes, we mean the perfections or con- 
ditions which God attributes or ascribes to Himself. No one 
with a rational mind will claim that he is able to state and 
explain all the attributes which God possesses. Some of them 
may be explained in. a measure, for when He said, "As the 
heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than 
your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts," He clearly 
showed that man was not able to grasp what was in the mind 
of God, hence can never be sure that he knows all the 
attributes of that divine Mind. 

Bible students differ in the names which they apply to 
these attributes, but the sense is practically the same; hence 
the discussions here will not follow any one of them exactly, 
either in name or in thought. 

Infinity. — The Christian, when he prays, feels that he is 
communing with a personal God, one who is moved by his 
petitions and who answers his prayers. This makes it hard for 
us to understand how he can be everywhere, fill all space and 
non-space if there be such a thing. David said, "Whither shall 
I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven thou art 
there, if I make my bed in hell behold Thou art there. If I 
take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts 
of the sea ; even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right 
hand shall hold me." Then as if he realized that it was 
impossible to find a place where God would not come, the 
psalmist appeals to condition. If place makes no difference, 
neither will darkness hide from His everywhere-present eye. 
Other scriptures bearing on this subject are, "Do not I fill 
heaven and earth? saith the Lord" (Jer. 23:24). "But will 
God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and 
heaven of heavens can not contain thee ; how much less this 



GOD 27 

house which I have builded" (I Kings 8:27)? God is "not 
far from every one of us : for in Him we live, and move, and 
have our being" (Acts 17:27, 28). 

Reason is in full accord with divine revelation on this 
point. It would be impossible for God to have complete super- 
vision ,of the universe if He were limited in this particular. 
He who created all things would not after that give them over 
to certain laws without giving them some attention. The fact 
that we admit that He rules all things means that we admit 
that He is everywhere present. We readily admit that "in Him 
we live, and move, and have our being," which would be the 
same as expressed by another author: "As the birds in the air 
and the fish in the sea, so are we always surrounded by God. 
It is thus that He is infinite in His being, without absorbing 
all created beings into His own essence, but sustaining all their 
individual subsistence, and in the exercise of all their own 
powers." 

Unity. — Two things are brought out under this 'head: 
(1) that God is not made up of separate and component parts 
like some intricate machine, and (2) that there can be none 
other, but that He stands alone in magnitude, in creation, and 
in supervision. Some of the references in support of the 
latter are, "Our God is in the heavens : he hath done whatso- 
ever he hath pleased" (Psa. 115:3). "The earth is the Lord's, 
and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell there- 
in" (Psa. 24:1). "The Lord our God is one Lord" (Deut. 6:4). 
"Thou art God alone" (Psa. 86:10). "I am God, and there is 
none else" (Isa. 45*22). "To us there is but one God" (I Cor. 
8:6). 

From the nature of the work ascribed to Him in these 
references and from their general teachings there can be but 
one. The very name. God, brings to our mind? a perfect and 
infinite Bein^ and there can be but one such. We can not 
imagine two Gods and have them on an equality. There would 
be no harmony in the universe with two such Governors of 
equal power over the same place and condition. There would 
be a crash somewhere. But not simply in the government but 



28 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

in the creation as well is there complete harmony. This could 
not be if two different minds were laboring with it. Wake- 
field says, "If two or more independent beings are supposed to 
exist, their natures must be the same or different. If different, 
they are either contrary or various. If contrary, each must 
destroy the works of the other; and if various, one must have 
what the other has not, and so neither of them Lave all possible 
perfection. But if they are the same, having equal perfection, 
neither of them can be absolutely perfect .... It is therefore 
impossible that there can be more than one absolutely perfect 
Being." Do we think of God as absolutely perfect? Then we 
must admit that there is but one, and that He is one both as 
to component parts and as to His standing alone in magnitude, 
edition, and supervision. 

Eternity. — As God fills all space, so He fills all time. 
That is, there never was a time when God did not exist and 
there never will be a time when He will cease to exist. In 
other words, He never had a beginning and will have no end. 
As we contend that divine revelation is necessary let us look 
there first for our proof. "Before the mountains were brought 
forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even 
from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Psa. 90:2). 
"Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth : and the 
heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but 
thou shalt endure : yea, all of them shall wax old like a 
garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall 
be changed : but thou art the same, and thy years shall have 
no end" (Psa. 102:25-27). "I am the first, and I am the last; 
and beside me there is no God" (Isa. 44:6). 

God is not governed by time but He "is the same 
yesterday, today, and forever ;" hence the very applicable name 
which He gave Himself, The "I Am." He is the eternal now. 
That is to say, there is nothing like past or future with 
reference to the existence of God, but that these are as the 
present with Him. 

Immutability. — As God fills all time and all space and 
is God alone, so He is unchangeable. To this the Scriptures 



GOD 29 

"bear ample witness. "The counsel of the Lord standeth for 
ever" (Psa. 33:11). "They (heaven and earth) shall wax old 
like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they 
shall be changed : but thou art the same, and thy years shall 
have no end" (Psa. 102:25-27). "I am the Lord, I change 
not" (Mai. 3:6). He is "the Father of lights, with whom is 
no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (Jas. 1:17). These 
references show very clearly that God does not change, and 
they are not contradicted by those that speak of God as 
repenting, for that with Him means a change in His manner 
of administration and not sorrow for some act that He has 
done. If God were sorry that He did a certain thing it would 
be evidence of His imperfection; for since He knows all 
things, He must know the result of everything before its 
creation, hence repentance with God, as man repents, is an 
impossibility. His omniscience is evidence enough that His 
plans are all completed before the work is begun, which so far 
as a change in God's purpose is concerned would be entirely 
uncalled for. As an earthly father at one time instructs, at 
another time comforts or reprimands and even punishes his 
child with one and the same object in mind — the good of the 
child — so the obedience or rebellion, the meekness or pride, the 
earnestness or indifference of God's subjects often make it 
necessary for Him to change His method of administration 
but always with one object in mind — the good of the creature. 
Spirituality. — When Jesus said, "God is a Spirit," He 
did not stop to explain what a spirit is but left that for man 
to reason out from his own consciousness. It is not composed 
of "flesh and bone ;" is not a solid substance, as wood or 
stone; is not subject to the laws of physics, such as gravita- 
tion ; but has the power of thought, will, action, and motion. 
Spirituality, then, when applied to God, means that He is not 
subject to corruption, to need, to pain, to the laws of nature, 
and can not be seen with the natural eye. Wakefield says. 
"The immateriality of God is a point of great importance, 
not only as it affects our views of His nature and attributes, 
but because when once it is established that there exists a pure 



3C BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Spirit, living and intelligent, and invested with moral proper- 
ties, the question of the immateriality of the human soul may 
be regarded as almost settled." 

The objection is sometimes offered that He must be in 
the physical form of man because of the frequent references 
made to the parts which compose the human body. The face, 
the mouth, the arm. the hand, etc., of the Lord are found in 
numerous places in Scripture. Try to apply all these physical 
parts to God and notice the result. For want of space but one 
illustration will be given here. "The Lord's hand is not 
shortened, that He can not save." Two men are helped by the 
hand of the Lord at the same moment, one in Chicago, the 
other in China — a physical, but by no means a spiritual,, 
impossibility. 

The paramount argument is that the Scriptures teach the 
spirituality of God. "God is a Spirit." "The Lord is that 
Spirit," ^nd many other references speak of the "Spirit of 
God." Being spiritual does not prevent Him from being able 
to supply all the needs of man. 

Omniscience.— By this term is meant, Knowledge that 
has no limit, or All-knowing. That is to say, there is nothing 
in the past or present, and there never will be any thing in the 
future, that God does not know at this moment. This idea 
has been opposed on the ground that it would be impossible 
unless we grant that He fore-ordains everything with the most 
radical fatalism — a thing which very few of us believe. 
Arguing from the basis of our own knowledge this might seem 
right, but it would deny foresight to an infinite Being, which 
again would be inconsistent for it would make Him finite 
instead of infinite. Without for a moment interfering with 
man's free agency, God looks into the future and sees what 
will come to pass just as we look into the past and realize what 
has been without having had anything to do in bringing about 
the particular event. Again, the objection has been raised that 
this would not harmonize with the repentance of God; but, as 
stated before, His repentance must not be interpreted as being 
sorry for an act that He has performed. If either of the above 



GOD 31 

objections were valid it would be very clear that He could not 
be God, for instead of being clothed with perfections, He 
would have at least one gross imperfection. 

James impressed upon the minds of the Jerusalem Confer- 
ence that, "Known unto God are all His works from the 
beginning of the world" (Acts 15:18). This pre-supposes that 
He knows the works of man, or how would He know what He 
would do because of what man does? "Thou understandest? 
my thought afar off" (Psa. 139:2). Many others might be 
cited, but suffice it to say, "His understanding is infinite" (Psa. 
147:5), which would again be impossible if His knowledge 
were limited in any way. 

From the three references given above we glean that, so 
far as His own works are concerned, He knew them from the 
beginning. As a part of His work will be in the future, who 
will dare to say, in the face of numerous prophecies on the 
subject, that He does not know what He will do even in the 
Judgment? As that depends upon the actions of men and 
women yet unborn, He must know what such actions will be 
long before there is any outward evidence of their occurrence; 

Omnipotence. — By this term is meant, the removal of 
all limitations of power, so far as is consistent with His other 
perfections. He has the power to do anything consistent with 
His will. He wills and it is done. He said, "Let there be 
light." That was all that was necessary, for "there was light." 
Even the heavens were the result of His will ; the most remote 
star, too far distant to be seen with the strongest telescope, is 
likewise a part of the creation. But why should He not have 
this power? He is "the Almighty." His name implies that. 

The idea that He has absolute power has given rise to 
many absurdities. The question has been asked, "If He has 
absolute power, does He have power to destroy Himself?" He 
has other attributes which count much more in His sight than 
power. His love, omniscience, wisdom, and many others which 
are constantly used in the administration of His will for the 
welfare of His creatures would not allow even the considera- 
tion of such inconsistencies. 

The ease with which God sustains and controls everv- 



32 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

thing proves His omnipotence. Human beings, angels, and the 
elements are alike within His power. "All nations before Him 

are as nothing It is He that sitteth upon the circle of 

the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers" (Isa. 
40:17, 22). Of the earth and sea Job said, "He stretcheth out 
the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon 
nothing. He bindeth up the waters in the thick clouds; and 
the cloud is not rent under them . . . He compasseth the water 
with bounds" (Job 26:7-10). A few other scriptures giving. 
light on this subject are, Psa. 115:3; 135:6; Jer. 32:17; Matt. 
19:26. 

Wisdom. — This attribute shows the unerring way in 
which God governs all things to His own glory and for the 
welfare of His creatures. It would scarcely seem necessary to 
discuss this separately, from the fact that it is so clearly shown 
in the other attributes; but being so prominent in His dispen- 
sations, this article would be incomplete without it. 

Let us consider a few of the many references on this 
point. "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast 
thou made them all" (Psa. 104:24). "The Lord by wisdom 
hath founded the earth" (Prov. 3:19). "Great is our Lord, 
and of great power: his understanding is infinite (Psa. 147:5). 
"To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever" 
TRom. 16:27). Unable to get words to express the ecstacy of 
his soul, Paul said, "O the depth of the riches both of the 
wisdom and knowledge of God" (Rom. 11 :33) — which is 
possibly the clearest expression of divine wisdom found in 
Scripture. 

In many of His works His wisdom is clearly seen. They 
are of such a nature as to awaken the gratitude of His 
creatures and stimulate a desire to find out even "the deep 
things of God," for man is made to feel that He who has so 
wisely planned for the happiness of humanity must be his 
Friend as well as his Creator. It is fortunate for man that 
notwithstanding the wisdom used in the creation simplicity 
everywhere abounds. This encourages man to study and 
develop his mind so that he may glorify God the more. His 



fp^"--- ** 



GOD 33 

wisdom is manifested in the endless varieties in nature. In 
the thousands of leaves of a single tree there are no two that 
are exactly alike. Notice the differences in the snowflakes, hi 
•animals of the same kind, in flowers of the same variety, in 
human beings of the same race. How very inconvenient if all 
men had exactly the same features. But in none of these has 
divine wisdom been so wonderfully shown as in the great plan 
of redemption. 

Justice. — This term means, the inclination which God 
has to give to His creation such laws of equality and right as 
will tend to bring out the best that is in them for time and 
eternity, and as the final Judge to impart such rewards and 
punifhments as will be to His glory, to the comfort of thosd 
who accepted His teachings and lived them, and a proper 
infliction of pain, shame and remorse to those who wilfully 
cast aside His offers of mercy. The Scriptures show that God 
"will render to every man according to his deeds'' (Rom. 2:6). 
for He "is a righteous judge" (Psa. 7:11, R. V.), and "He 
shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with 
His truth" (Psa. 96:13), for "righteousness and judgment are 
the habitation of His throne" (Psa. 97:2). 

Because man does not understand the ways of God there 
are many things which seem to contradict these statements. 
Wicked and oppressive men live to a very old age and seem to 
be surrounded with every comfort of life while others who 
seem to be very devoted to God's cause suffer affliction and 
want. The great mercy of God gives the wicked ample oppor- 
tunity to flee from his wickedness, and, when He will "judge 
the world with righteousness" in that great day the oppor- 
tunities of the wicked will be taken into consideration. No 
trial shall come to the righteous with which God does not give 
sufficient grace to bear it and at the same time cause the trial 
to be a means of spiritual growth and development. Besides, 
if "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for 
us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," it can be 
no misfortune for the person who thus profits by it. Again a 



34 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

matter of favor may be in perfect accord with divine justice. 
See Matt. 20:1-15. 

Truth. — The Truth of God is a term which is used in 
the sense that He can be depended upon and that He will not 
disappoint us; that when His Word makes a promise or a 
threat it will be carried out very definitely except on conditions 
of repentance of the sinner or the apostasy of the Christian. 
It is not the purpose of this chapter to prove the truth of the 
Bible. That is taken as a matter of course. All that is neces^ 
sary is to show that the Bible teachings are definitely carried 
out. Think of the prophecies regarding the birth, life, charac- 
ter, death, and mediation of Christ and see how definitely they 
were fulfilled. The most skeptical must be convinced *as he 
stands on the site of old Babylon and reads Isaiah 13:19-22; 
or as he looks from the highest place in Tyre and sees the nets 
spread out on the banks to dry where once there was a strait 
a mile wide, then reads Ezekiel 26:12-14; or as he sits on the 
south wall of the City of Jerusalem and reads Jer. 26:18 and 
Micah 3 :12 and looks out on what was once Mount Zion, the 
strongest part of the city, and sees it outside of the wall, a 
common field where the farmer plows, sows, and reaps his 
grain. If these did not suffice him, a score of others might 
be given which are equally convincing. If we did not believe 
in the Truth of God we would imperil our faith in every one 
of the other attributes, and contempt instead of regard for God 
would be the result. His Word, now so precious to us, would 
be worse than the writings of a capricious and malicious 
deceiver. 

Goodness. — As the Justice of God demands that He 
faithfully administer rewards to those who are true to Him, 
so the goodness of God makes it a delight to Him to promote 
the happiness of His creatures by manifesting His love and 
kindness toward them in pity and forbearance, even though 
they are unworthy of His care and protection. Wakefield 
says, "When it (the goodness of God) brings happiness, without 
merit, it is called grace; when it commiserates the distressed, 
it is pity; when it supplies the indigent, it is bounty; when it 



GOD 35 

bears with offenders, it is patience or longsuffering ; and when 
it pardons the guilty, it is mercy." As God is immutable or 
unchangeable, and is very good to His creatures at times, we 
must conclude that His goodness is unchangeable, and is not 
like the imaginary heathen gods who are supposed to be so 
moved by passion at times that they are very cruel even to 
their advocates. 

God's goodness is sufficient and unfailing. It touches every 
case, and where the baseness of man does not prevent, it brings 
such blessings and comfort to man as tend to his enjoyment 
and to the glory of God. He delights in exercising that good- 
ness in a large way, for "He giveth to all men liberally, and 
upbraideth not." This attribute which is the exercise of His 
love endears Him to all who come in vital touch with Him. 

Scripture proofs of that goodness are abundant. Only a 
few will be given here. "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready 
to forgive ; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon 
Thee" (Psa. 86:5). "The Lord is good to all" (Psa. 145:9). 
The Psalmist was so impressed with that goodness that he 
wanted others to enjoy it also. "O taste and see that the Lord 
is good" (Psa. 34:8): "The earth is full of the goodness of 
the Lord" (Psa. 33:5). He gave His name- as, "The Lord, the 
Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant 
in goodness and truth" (Ex. 34:6). Hence the passage, "The 
eyes of all wait upon thee ; and thou gavest them their meat in 
due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire 
of every living thing" (Psa. 145:15, 16). 

Holiness. — This is the attribute by which the purity of 
God's moral character is known. In it He is shown to be 
averse to anything that is low, vile, or evil; and to love every 
thing that is good and noble and true. There are several 
references, however, in which the thought of awe and dread 
are more prominent than the aversion to evil. "His holy arm" 
(Psa. 98:1) does not convey the idea of sanctity so much as it 
does that of vengeance and power. This passage is probably 
taken from the song of Moses in Exodus 15, especially from 
verse 16. In this song of praise the august and venerable ideas 



■ 36 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

are in evidence rather than the moral and the pure. Isaiah 
8:13 is another passage much of the same nature. 

The scriptures which show the holiness of God in the 
sense of the purity of His character are numerous. He 
declared His holiness Himself. "I, the Lord your God am 
holy" (Lev. 19:2). The four "living creatures" (R. V.) in 
Rev. 4:8 are saying, day and night, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord 
God almighty." This was the song of the seraphim also in 
Isa. 6:3. The holiness of God furnished much material for 
the Psalms. See Psa. 22:3; 30:4; 47:8; 48:1; 60:6; 145:17, 
and others. 

Love. — Many Bible students do not consider love as an 
attribute the same as holiness, goodness, truth, etc. They 
hold that love does not "belong to" but is a part of the Divine 
Being; that is, forms a part of the essence of God. As a 
proof of their position they quote I John 4:8. Space does not 
allow the discussion of that part of the subject. Suffice it to 
say that love is the greatest factor in the Christian and rules 
his life, both in regard to God and his fellowman, and it is one 
of the most important factors in God with regard to His 
creatures. 

Love is inexpressible. Language fails to declare it, there- 
fore Christ simply said, "God so loved." The fact that He 
sent His Son to pass through such an awful ordeal for man's 
salvation gives some idea of its extent, especially when it is 
remembered that this was done when man was in rebellion 
against God. Rom. 5 :8. The extent of that love is beyond 
human conception, for "it passeth knowledge" (Eph. 3:19); 
and yet it is free and undeserved, for the Lord said, "I will 
heal their backsliding, I will love them freely" (Hos. 14:4). 
The effect of that love is found in such scriptures as John 
3:16, 15:13 and many others. 

The above may be called attributes, but they must not 
be construed as showing all the characteristics of God ; for Hd 
may have many others of which man does not know because 
they do not enter into His relationship with man. 



GOD 37 

The Divinity and Humanity of Christ 

Having discussed the subject, God, at some length and 
having in mind that where three beings are composed of the 
same essence, have the same glory and are equal, they must 
have the same attributes, we may turn to some points with 
regard to the Son which have caused much controversy and 
were the principal subjects of discussion at the Council of 
Nice. Was Christ divine, uncreated and of one substance with 
the Father? Let us consider that — ■ 

Christ is and was Divine. This may be argued from 
His own words. He said, "Before Abraham was, I am." 
The difference in the verbs "was" and "am" as used here is not 
all expressed in the tense. As Abraham was here in the flesh 
and is not now, so there was a time when Abraham did not 
exist, but "I am" expresses present and would say that there 
is no such thing as past or future, so far as the existence of 
Christ is concerned. This was very clear to the Jews, for they 
intended to stone Him for making Himself God. "Now, O 
Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory 
which I had with thee before the world was." Neither man 
nor angel would have dared to make such a request. By this 
He as much as said, "I have glorified you here, now you 
glorify me in heaven, not as a redeemed soul or as an angel, 
but as I, your equal, was before." 

From these and many other references which might be 
given it is evident that Christ had a pre-existence. It is equally 
true that He will be the final Judge. None but a divine 
personage would be accorded such a position. Aside from 
these it is evident that Christ was the Jehovah of the Old 
Testament. In the same instances and often in the same 
sentences He is called the angel of the Lord and Jehovah, or 
God. Gen. 16:9, 10, 13; 32:24-30. One of the three men who 
came to Abraham in the plains of Mamre is called, Lord, and 
Judge of all the earth. It was "the angel of the Lord" that 
went before the children of Israel in the cloud Ex. 14:19 
but Moses said that it was "the voice of God" that spake to 



38 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

them. It is reasonable to suppose that Jacob had two person- 
ages in mind when he said, "The God which led me all my 
life long unto this day, the angel which redeemed me." Steph- 
en in his defense in Acts 7 says that it was the angel of the 
Lord that appeared to Moses in the burning bush, but in 
Exodus 3 the same being which Stephen termed "angel" calls 
Himself "the God of thy father." It would not be consistent 
to think of an angel, a created being, assuming the place of an 
ambassador and as such, speak in the name of the one whom 
he represented. True, angels came to men, but they said that 
they were sent. 

Nor is it consistent to say that this particular angel to 
which Jacob had reference took on the form of man at times. 
That patriarch thought of Him as one that existed continuously 
or he would not have spoken of him as the one who fed him 
all his "life long." From the scriptures quoted and from the 
arguments we conclude that these divine manifestations were 
not created beings but must have been one of the Trinity. 

Keeping that in mind let us notice that the term, angel, as 
used in this connection shows two things: (1) that he was 
sent, (2) that he was sent to minister. It is clear that the 
Father was not sent. If one of the Trinity, it must have been 
the Son or the Holy Spirit. For a conclusion turn to Mai. 
3:1: "The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his 
temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight 
in." Lord implies divinity and the messenger of the covenant 
certainly means Christ, hence when the covenant promises were 
made it is evident that Christ made them. The fact that the 
name, Lord, is used is no objection. On the contrary it is 
rather an evidence in favor of the argument, for when He was 
on earth He was repeatedly called "Lord" (Jehovah) and the 
believing Jew- seemed to hold the idea that the "angel of the 
covenant" was also the promised Messiah. It is generally con- 
ceded that Christ was divine, but was He also human? 

Christ was Human as well as Divine. — We notice — 
a. He was called the Son of man. The seventy-two 



GOD 39 

limes which this term is used ought to be sufficient evidence 
of His humanity, especially since in the majority of cases He 
applied that title to Himself. We can not allow that Christ 
would use a name that would deceive the people, but that in 
referring to Himself in this way He meant to convey that He 
actually was a person with a human nature as well as a human 
form. 

b. He had human needs and characteristics* He goti 
weary, slept, hungered, thirsted, ate, drank, and had tempta- 
tions and sufferings as man has today. He wept in tender 
compassion over the erring; He studied and increased in 
wisdom and worked; He lived and died as others and was 
"made like unto His brethren," that is in "flesh and blood," so 
that He could be a true pattern, and that none could say, "He 
was the Son of God and did not have the trials that I have." 

c. His temptations were real. Some admit that He 
was human but do not believe that there was anything within 
Him that was a stimulus to any thing that was sinful, but still 
admit that He was tempted. There can be no temptation if 
there is no response from within. One man says that a certain 
thing is a wonderful temptation to him; his friend says, "That 
is no temptation to me at all." What is the difference? In the 
one there is a propensity developed which appeals to the thing 
in question while in the other that propensity is dormant. 
In Christ these propensities were not dormant. There was 
about His humanity something which responded to allure- 
ments from without. This does not imply that He yielded, but 
that the temptations were real as they are in us. "He was in 
all points tempted like as we are." "Forasmuch then as the* 
children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself 
likewise took part of the same." "It behooved Him to be made 
like unto His brethren." From what has been shown so far it 
is very clear that, 

Christ was both Human and Divine. The Bible idea is 
set forth in a clear and concise way in the Articles of Faith of 
the Church of England : "The Son which is the Word of the 
Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father the very and 



40 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man's 
nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin of her substance ; 
so that two whole and perfect natures, that is the God-head 
and manhood were joined together in one person, never to 
be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God and very man.'' 
From this quotation it is evident that while there were two 
natures there could be no conflict, and that there was no change 
from one to the other, but that both retained their own peculiar 
functions. To claim that Christ had but one nature would 
make some of the Scriptures meaningless. If either of these 
natures had not been in Christ, what could have been the 
meaning of, "The Word became flesh?" This is only one of 
many illustrations. 

The Holy Spirit 
He is a Person, One of the God-head. The Holy Spirit 
is referred to all through the Scriptures from Genesis to 
Revelation. Some think of Him as being merely a power that 
emanates from the Father, as His love or His mercy. The 
argument presented is that He is referred to as, "My Spirit," 
"The Spirit of God," but this argument falls to the ground 
when compared with the way in which we refer to the Son^ 
for the latter is called, "My Son," "The Son of God," and we 
claim that as an argument that the Son is a person. Will the 
argument not hold as good when applied to the Spirit as 
applied to the Son? If, as some claim, the Spirit is simply a 
power, some of the Scriptures would be little short of absurd. 
If He is simply a power, the word power should make good 
sense when substituted for Spirit. Let us try a few. Acts 
10:38: "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with pozver (the 
Holy Ghost) and with power." Rom. 15:13: "That ye may 
abound in hope through the power of the power (Holy 
Ghost)." Rom. 8:26: "The power (Spirit) Himself (R. V.) 
maketh intercession for us." Others might be given. No other 
attribute of God can be personified and used here any better 
than power and these illustrations show the fallacy of such an 
idea. That He is a person and that He is one of the God-head 
is proven by, 



GOD 41 

The Works Ascribed to Him. "My Spirit shall not 
always strive with man" (Gen. 6:3). This implies that some- 
thing has been striving with man (which is an act) but that 
such action will cease. "The Spirit searcheth all things" (I 
Cor. 2:10). The Spirit ministers. See II Cor. 3:8. This 
is not weakened by verses 17 and 18 of the same chapter, for 
the Spirit was sent in the Son's name. John 14:26. In John 
14, 15, and 16 there are at least a dozen things in which the 
Spirit really acts or does something. He "may be with you," 
"abides," "shall be in you," "shall teach," "shall bring .... to 
your remembrance," "shall testify," "will reprove," "shall 
guide," "shall hear," "shall speak," "will show you things to 
come," "shall glorify," "shall declare" (R. V.). All of these 
are acts of a rational being and at least some of them would 
be quite impossible to- any one except to a divine being. 

He is an Object of our Worship. We can not stand in 
relation to any personified object or attribute such as we hold 
to the Spirit. He is the object of our worship and faith. We 
confess Him in baptism and are baptized in His name. Who 
would claim that he is baptized in the name of two persons and 
an attribute ? To worship a mere power is nothing short of 
idolatry. He even aids us in prayers, and knowing what the 
will of the Father is, "He maketh intercession for the saints 
according to the will of God." As the Father and the Son 
have their part in the salvation of man, so also has the Spirit. 
He leads the children of God "into all truth," and in this way 
as well as others performs a part in the great plan of saving 
the world. He has knowledge, will and action. He reveals 
secrets and distributes gifts that are possible to none but a 
divine person. He is shown to be a person by the 

Personal Pronouns Applied to Him. The use of the 
personal pronouns in connection with the Spirit show Him to 
be a person. See John 14 to 16 and notice the Spirit referred 
to as, "He," "Him," etc. He is referred to as, "itself," in 
Rom. 8:26 but the Revised Version has that changed to the 
masculine gender. It is always improper to use the neuter 
pronoun, "it," when speaking of the Spirit. 



42 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

He is One of the Trinity. The fact that He is the object 
of our worship would say that He is one of the God-head or 
that we are idolaters, Ex. 20:3 shows that God is to be 
supreme in our worship and to worship another would be equal 
to paganism. His divinity is shown by the interchange of 
Spirit and Lord or God. In Isa. 6:8 and 9 the prophet said 
that it was the Lord who spoke through the prophet but Paul 
in quoting this passage says that it was the Holy Ghost who 
spoke. Acts 28:25. For a parallel case, see, Jer. 31:31-34 
and Heb. 10:15, 16. Ananias was by one act first accused of 
lying to the Holy Ghost and then told that He had "not lied 
unto men, but unto God." 

He has a Part in Man's Salvation. As the Father and 
the Son have a part in man's salvation so the Spirit has His 
part. He leads the children of God "into all truth," and in a 
number of other ways performs a part in the great plan of 
saving the world. 

The wide Exercise of His Powers Prove Him Divine. 
He has creative power: "The Spirit of God hath made me" 
(Job. 33:4). Preservation is His: "Thou sendest forth thy 
Spirit, they are created : and thou renewest the face of the 
earth" (Psa. 104:30). He has resurrective power: Jesus was 
"put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit " (I 
Pet. 3:18), and He shall "also quicken your mortal bodies" 
(Rom. 8:11). Even in that beautiful benediction found in IT 
Cor. 13:14 His communion with saints is shown in most 
expressive language. 

The Trinity in Unity — Three in One 

Thus far the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost were 
treated as three separate persons, as having individual func- 
tions, and from what has been said one might infer that they 
were different in essence. While they are three persons and 
have their distinct work in the salvation of man, we must 
remember that they have special relations to each other, that 
they are all divine, that they have the same attributes. This 
should be remembered in the study of what follows. 



GOD 43 

It is equally important to note that there is a unity, as 
well as an individuality, in the three — that they are one and 
that there is but one. True, God said, "Let us make man in 
our own image," but the following verse says, "So God created 
man in His ozvn image." Two things are clear, (1) God did 
not call upon the angels or some other created being in heaven 
to aid in the creation of man, for creatures do not have 
creative powers. The persons called upon were divine and at 
least to some degree equal. (2) His own image was the 
pattern (singular) and the Creator was singular. This corres- 
ponds with number used in pattern in the first quotation. He 
did not say, In our own images but in our own image, even 
there implying a singular essence. 

No one will doubt that the Father has creative powers and 
exercised them when man was brought to earth. But the Son 
did likewise, for of all created things there was not one thing 
in which he did not have a part in creating it. Jno. 1 :3, Eph. 
3 :9. This is true, not only of things on earth but also in 
heaven. Col. 1 :16. 

In the beautiful benediction which Aaron and his sons 
were to use in blessing Israel (Num. 6:24-26) the term, Lord, 
is used three times. Read these verses omitting the words, 
"The Lord," in verses 25 and 26, simply using a comma instead 
of the words omitted. Is not the sense destroyed somewhat? 
"The Lord (Father) bless thee and keep thee, the Lord (Son) 
make His face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee, 
the Lord (Holy Spirit) lift up His countenance unto thee and 
give thee peace." We notice that this corresponds exactly 
with ideas set forth in the Scriptures regarding these sacred 
Three, and that the order is also right. To this agrees the 
thought of the New Testament benediction: "the love of God, 
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the .communion of the 
Holy Ghost." That the Holy Ghost is one in that Trinity is 
clearly shown when Paul by divine inspiration quoted from 
Isaiah (Acts 28:26, 27) and told us that the Holy Ghost used 
Isaiah to say this while the prophet himself says that it was 



44 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

the Lord of Hosts. This could not be true if the Holy Ghost 

and the Lord of Hosts were not the same. 

Hodge says, "The terms, Father, Son, and Spirit, do not 
express different relations of God to His creatures. They are' 
not analagous to the terms, Creator, Preserver, and Benefactor, 
which do express such relations." These express one in three 
relations, but not so with the Trinity. No one would think of 
the Creator acting on the Benefactor, or the Preserver sending 
the Creator on some mission, for that would be the same as the 
person sending himself; but when the Father sent the Spirit in 
the name of the Son we see no such inconsistency. Wakefield 
says, "The divine nature exists under the personal distinction 
of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and these three have equality, 
and in common with one another, the nature and perfections 
of supreme divinity." 

That there are three is not very generally questioned, for 
any one who believes the Scriptures must admit that Christ is, 
and that He is not the Father nor the Spirit. To deny Christ 
is to deny the great fundamental doctrine of the New Testa- 
ment, hence the idea of the Three is an established and conced- 
ed fact. The unity must necessarily follow. If there were 
three, each distinct and separate in essence from the other then 
they must be equal, or unequal and two subordinate to the 
other. If equal, then neither can have all the perfections and 
have them to a perfect degree for the others also have a part, 
and each can have only a part. If they are unequal and 
subordinate the subordinate could not be divine — must from 
the very nature of things be simply creatures and the whole; 
structure of redemption, present communion with the Son and 
the Spirit, and future rewards and punishments must collapse 
into a myth and foolish superstitions. 

Effect of this Doctrine on our Worship. What we 
believe has a great influence on our worship. As the Unitarian 
does not t believe in the atonement it is self-evident that he can 
not realize the sinfulness of sin ; hence his sense of gratitude 
to God for the plan of salvation must necessarily be very 
meager, and joy for personal experience of sins forgiven he 
can not have because he ignores the fountain head through 



GOD 45 

whom the forgiveness comes. If he does not believe that the 
Holy Spirit was sent to "guide him into all truth," it is very 
certain that he gets very little benefit from the existence of 
the third person in the Trinity. 

Those who believe that Christ is a creature of the Father 
and that there was a time when Christ did not exist (even if 
they claim that He was created long before the earth), can 
not have the same reverence for Him as those have who 
believe Him "to be equal with God." 

These two illustrations are enough to show us the im- 
portance of getting the true idea of God so that our worship, 
our meditations and our teachings may be in accordance with 
truth and may be the highest and best possible, not simply from 
duty but in gratefulness for the grace so freely bestowed upon 
man. 

Incomprehensibility of the Trinity. It is sometimes 
argued that to speak of "Three in one and one in Three" is a 
contradiction — that such a thing can not be. From a human 
standpoint that may be true but God is not governed by the 
same laws which He has given for the government of His 
creatures. This is shown by the numberless things which He 
does for His creatures which are absolutely impossible for man 
to do, either for himself or for another. After Christ's 
resurrection He did that which to the disciples was an impos- 
sibility but for Him it was a matter of perfect ease (Luke 
24:31, 26, 51), hence the fact that man does not understand is 
no evidence that it is not true. If His "ways are past finding 
out" it is very clear that His being is likewise so. We may not 
be able to explain how He can be three in one but can we 
explain how there can be three, each separate and independent 
from the other and all of them absolutely perfect, or how there 
can be but one, thus ignoring both the Son and the Holy 
Ghost? The last two would be inexplainable because they are 
untrue but the other because He is incomprehensible to such 
finite minds as ours. 

Thou Blessed God, Thou Holy Trinity! Thou who art 



46 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

the Creator and Preserver of all things; the King of kings, 
and Lord of lords, the Ruler of heaven and earth, the Three 
in One and One in Three; may all the world stand in awe 
before Thee, beholding "the goodness and severity of God" 
even in this life, and offer the gratitude of their hearts as the 
sacrifice most acceptable to Thee. "Holy (Father), Holy 
(Son), Holy (Ghost), Lord God Almighty." 



CHAPTER II 
THE CREATION 

In the beginning God created the heaven and 
the earth. — Gen. 1:1. 

The Fact of Creation — the Divine Handiwork 
It is a self-evident fact that a universe, composed of 
animate and inanimate things, exists. Whence is it? It did 
not always exist, nor did it produce itself, but it was created 
by a Supreme Being. The creation of the universe is the great 
event which first arrests attention and arouses our interest in 
the inspired Word of God. The account of the . creation 
occupies the first and part of the second chapter of Genesis, 
and as the word "genesis'' means "origin," or "beginning," so 
in the book of Genesis we find the first record of the origin or 
beginning of all things. 

The Origin of Matter. — By the creation of the world 
we understand something more than simply the making of one 
thing from another. Man can do that. With wood he can 
make a chair or a house. Out of iron he can make a nail or a 
locomotive. Given suitable material, he can make things almost 
innumerable. But by creation, as the word is used in Genesis, 
we understand that it is the making of something out of 
nothing. God in the act of creation made all things out of 
nothing. Originally, nothing existed but God. There existed 
no matter out of which visible things were formed, and no 
immaterial substance out of which to form angels and human 
souls. God created them all; not out of Himself, as was held 
by some of the ancients; not out of the eternal, as some- 
philosophers hold ; not out of elemental and chaotic matter, as. 
others imagine, but out of nothing. 

It is true, as proven by science, that matter and energy 
are indestructible and unchangeable as to amount — never more 



48 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

and never less. But these terms are merely relative, and refer 
only to time since creation. 

God is the first great Cause of all things. He gave all 
things existence. The Holy Spirit, through Paul, gives us the 
correct idea of the word "create" as used in the first chapter of 
Genesis: "Through faith we understand that the worlds. were 
framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were 
not made of things which do appear" (Heb. 11:3). 

So then all things seen and realized show the hand and 
work of God. 

Genesis as Compared with other Writings. — We feel 
called upon to make our most ardent protest against the 
confounding of the inspired and therefore infallible writers 
with the modern uninspired and therefore fallible commentat- 
ors. In the first chapter of the Bible God gives us in logical 
order a literal statement of facts as they actually occurred. 
We dare not consider this account as figurative or poetical, 
for then "in the beginning God" did not create "the heaven and 
the earth," and did not form "man of the dust of the ground," 
and did not breathe "into his nostrils the breath of life," and 
it is quite impossible to determine what He did or did not do. 
Then each reader would be left to form his own conclusions. 
It is readily seen that by such a procedure the integrity of the 
whole Bible would be imperiled. The Scriptures preclude any 
other doctrine than that of an absolute creation of all things 
by the direct act of the Divine Will. Before this truth all the 
errors of pantheism', polytheism, dualism, materialism, atheism, 
and spiritualism fall. 

Heavenly Harmonies. — It must be admitted that the 
statements made above are in full harmony with Reason, which 
demands an adequate designer and Creator of all that exists 
because of the wisdom, scheme, and purpose evident in alt 
material and immaterial things. All things were created and 
set up by a wise Master-builder so that every part of the 
divine creation fits its origin and place perfectly. 

Again, these statements are in perfect harmony with God's 
Word. Hear the language of the prophet: "Thou, even thou. 



THE CREATION 49 

^art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, 
with all their hosts, the earth, and all things that are therein, 
the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all" 
(Neh. 9:6). The inspired apostle breaks forth in this 
language: "For by him (Christ) were all things created, that 
are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, 
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or 
powers : all things were created by him, and for him ; and he 
is before all things, and by him all things consist" (Col. 1:16, 
17). Christ Himself testifies that He was with the Father 
"before the world was" (Jno. 17:5). Speaking of Christ as 
the Word, John says, "All things were made by him; and with- 
out him was not anything made that was made" (Jno. 1:3). 
This implies that there was a time when these now existing 
worlds were not. As already cited, Paul declares, "Things 
which are seen were not made of things which do appear." 
There were no other forms of matter older than these which 
we now see, out of which the elements of the world could have 
been made. The affirmation, "In the beginning God created 
the heaven and the earth," implies that in the creative act God 
•originated all things material. 

The facts above cited are also in full harmony with the 
facts revealed in Nature. The field of infinite space was, and 
still continues to be, God's work-shop. We see in Nature 
material things — God's first creation work. We then notice 
height and depth, length and breadth, latitude and longitude, 
weights and measures, time and eternity, and the laws govern- 
ing Nature. 

Illustrations from Nature. — Go forth into this work- 
shop. Take with you a handful of seeds of various flowers 
and scatter them promiscuously. They will spring up, possibly 
a hundred or more, and produce as many varieties of flowers. 
In each case, however, the flower will be of the same variety 
as that contained in the seed. There is no variation from this 
law, even though you plant a thousand or a million seeds a 
•thousand or a million times. There are no mistakes and there 
is no confusion in Nature. A rose never produces a carnation, 



50 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

a tulip never grows from a violet, nor a pansy from a sweet 
william. Every seed knows its kind and produces its own!: 
variety. Here is a law — a perfect law. How did this law 
originate? The answer is, God. Here indeed are two miracles 
in one : ( 1 ) God created by a miraculous act the first flowers, 
and then (2) He created the germs in those flowers froni 
which all flowers have since been produced. Nature declares 
unmistakably a Creator and a creation. 

Again, a farmer plants corn. If the season is poor he may 
(ind but eight rows of kernels in the ear. If conditions are 
more favorable there may be ten, or fourteen, or even twenty 
rows. But there never will be found an ear of corn with five, 
or seven, or eleven, or thirteen rows upon it. Can plants 
count? In this we have conclusive proof that there is a perfect 
Creator and a perfect creation, as is declared in Genesis. 

Let us examine a drop of water from a pond. By the aid 
of the microscope there is revealed a little world teeming with 
animal life of the most varied and remarkable forms. There 
are births, struggles for existence, loves, fights, and deathsy 
Their number and actions are so great as to be beyond 
comprehension. Yet this tiny world, and the great globe in> 
space, are the handiwork of that one Suprenie Being. 

Everywhere may be seen the evidences of God's work in 
Nature: we see it in the growth and development of plants 
and animals, and in their geographical distribution; in the 
progressive succession of created life from the lowest form td 
the crowning work of creation — man. The mysterious and 
awe-inspiring presence of Nature may be felt in the grandeur 
of the lofty and rugged mountain, in the calm and security of 
the valley below, in the moaning and sighing of the forest, in 
the motionless calm or the terriffic storm of the mighty ocean/ 
The strange and unmistakable voice of Nature permeates the 
whole universe, calling forth admiration for the wondrous 
works of God, and constantly reminding us that, "The heavens 
declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his 
handiwork." Victor Hugo must have felt this mighty voice of 
Nature and rightly interpreted it when he wrote — 



THE CREATION 51 

"Alone with the waves, on a starry night, 
My thoughts far away on the infinite; 
On the sea not a sail not a cloud in the sky. 
And the wind and the waves with sweet lullaby 
Seem to question in murmurs of mystery, 
'The fire of heaven the waves of the sea. 

'And the golden stars of the heavens rose higher, 
Harmoniously blending their crowns of fire, 
And the waves, which no ruling hand may know, 
'Midst a thousand murmurs, now high, now low, 
Sing, while curving their foaming crests to the sea, 
It is the Lord God! It is He." 

The Order of the Creation 

We introduce this division of the chapter by a quotation 
from John Urquhart, member of the Society of Biblical 
Archaeology: "We are struck, at the outset, by a character- 
istic which distinguishes the Scripture from all other literature. 
The Bible does not merely describe the past and the future — it 
makes us see them. And as a small window suffices to reveal 
a large prospect, the words of the Scripture, chosen with 
marvelous skill, are put into small compass. We mark this 
characteristic here, as well as everywhere throughout those 
sacred pages. We are made spectators of the advent of our 
world, and of the entire material universe." 

The most fundamental question in the mind of a rational 
being is, Whence did this material universe come? The 
answer is, 

"In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." 

Was it always just as we see it today? 

"And the earth was without form, and void ; and darkness 
was upon the face of the deep." 

But surely God did not leave it thus? 

"And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the 
waters." 

Then follows the account of His six days' work: 

First Day. — Diffusion of light. 

"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And 
God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light 
from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the dark- 



52 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

ness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the- 
first day" (Gen. 1:3-5). 

Second Day. — Spreading out of the waters below and 
the vapors above — the firmament. 

"And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the- 
waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God 
made the firmament and divided the waters which were under thd 
firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and 
it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the 
evening and the morning were the second day" (Gen. 1:6-8). 

" Third Day. — Land and sea; plant life. 

"And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered' 
together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was 
so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering to-J' 
gether of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. 
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding 
seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is. 
in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought 
torth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree 
yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God' 
saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the 
third day" (Gen. 1:9-13). 

Fourth Day. — Sun, moon and stars. 

"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the 
heaven to divide the dav from the night; and let them be for 
signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: and let them be 
for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the 
earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the 
greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: 
lie made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the 
heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and' 
over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God 
saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the- 
fourth day" (Gen. 1:14-19). 

Fifth Day. — Animal life created. 

"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the- 
moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the 
earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great 
whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters 
brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl' 
after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed 
them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the 
seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the 
morning were the fifth day" (Gen. 1:20-23). 

Sixth Day. — (1) Creation of land animals. (2) Creation- 
of man. (3) Man blessed and made responsible. (4) God' 
views with complete satisfaction His work of creation. 



THE. CREATION 53 

"And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature 
after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth 
after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the 
earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that 
creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was 
good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our 
likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and 
over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, 
and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So 
God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he 
him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, 
and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish 
the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the 
sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that 
moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you 
every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, 
and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to 
you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to 
every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the 
earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for 
meat: and it was so. lAnd God saw every thing that he had made* 
and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning 
were the sixth day" (Gen. 1:24-31). 

"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the 
host of them." 

The simple reading of this historical account of the crea- 
tion of all things impresses us because of its grandeur, its 
simplicity, and its force. The very first verse inspires us with 
awe. It stands out alone like some lofty mountain peak, rising 
iri signal grandeur above the valleys and hills, its summit 
whitened with the breath of heaven. This feeling continues to 
thrill us throughout the entire reading of the account of the 
creation as one "God said .... and it was so" follows another. 
And yet, with all its grandeur we are as much impressed with 
its simplicity. So simple is it that the merest child can read 
and grasp the truth it contains. Then this truth comes in such 
tremendous force, acquainting us with facts . that man by 
searching can not find out, that the profoundest thinkers and 
greatest scholars must bow down before it. Why is all this? 
It is the revelation of God. 

In the Beginning — in Six Days — The Sabbath 
Harmony of true Science with the Bible. — We have now 
seen that the creation is a fact, a reasonable fact, corroborated 



54 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

by God's Word, and by His handiwork in Nature. We have 
also noticed the order in which all things were created. Since 
God is the Author of both Nature and Scriptures, these two 
must agree. They do agree. Man may not be able to fully 
harmonize the account of Scripture with apparent facts in 
Nature, but this is simply because of finite limitations. Never- 
theless, the fact remains that what is written in Nature agrees 
with what is written in God's book — the Bible. We have also 
seen that it is declared in God's Word that the world was 
created out of nothing, and that it' was created at a certain 
time. Now it has been insisted by critics that the date of the 
creation as fixed by the Bible can never be made to harmonize 
with the facts of science. It is also claimed that the order of 
creation as found in Holy Writ does not coincide with that 
found in Nature. But let us bear in mind that there is no 
contradiction, but that apparent contradictions are only the 
evidence of human limitations. All true scientific research and 
discovery tend to harmonize the history of creation as given in 
Genesis, and, geologically speaking, "the history of the rocks." 

Primarily the Bible is not a treatise on science. It is very 
much higher than science. Galileo, the noted astronomer* 
truthfully says : "The Scriptures were given, not to tell us 
how the heavens go, but to teach us how to go to heaven." 
Yet the facts found in the Bible are thoroughly scientific. A 
certain writer of this age says : "Science has had to acknowl- 
edge, over and over again, the correctness of the creation 
account, and withdraw the objections and assaults which have 
been made." And without a doubt science will ever continue 
on this course, because she is young and very fallible, whereas 
God is eternal and infallible. 

Some Theories Noted. — The various methods by w'hich 
theologians and scientists have sought to reconcile the "testi- 
mony of the rocks" and the first chapter of Genesis may be 
reduced to two. One is as ancient as the other. 

One method supposes that the days mentioned in Genesis 
were periods of great and indefinite extent, each embracing 
vast ages, during which the various geological changes oc- 



THE CREATION 55 

curred. With some modifications this is now adopted by many 
of the modern scientists who have not entirely rejected the 
Bible. 

The other method places an undefined and enormous 
interval of time between the first and second verses of the 
Bible. During this interval, it is alleged, the various geological 
changes, evidence of which we now find upon the earth, took 
place. The earth was then brought into the chaotic state 
described in the second verse, and then it was, in six days of 
comparatively short duration, prepared for the habitation of 
man who was then placed upon it. 

There are numerous other theories on record, but in most 
instances they are so highly ridiculous and so completely out 
of harmony with good sense and the Bible, that we pass them 
by without further comment. 

Whatever interpretation is accepted, it must be remem- 
bered that the account given in Genesis is a revelation from 
God and is therefore correct beyond dispute ; while geology is 
the discovery of man, capable of being changed, which may be 
improved, advanced, subject to constant change to the end of 
the world. To quote from Cummings : "Genesis is perfect 
beyond possibility of contradiction or improvement by us; and 
geology, because of the discovery of man, and the subject of 
the investigation of man, may be improved by greater ex- 
perience and more profound acquaintance with those phe- 
nomena which lie concealed in the bosom of the earth, waiting 
for man to evoke, explain, and arrange." 

Geology has often retraced its steps ; Genesis, never. The 
whole scheme offered by geologists is mere supposition. The 
nebular hypothesis which has been taught to our children for 
years is now considered with much misgiving by wide-awake 
scientists. So is Newton's law of universal gravitation. So is' 
almost every phase of science. Very recent addresses and 
writings of prominent scientists substantiate these statements. 
We offer a few : 

The scientific editor of "Illustrated London News" re- 
marks, (June, 1913) : "Geologists have upset the old theory 



56 



BIBLE DOCTRINE 



that the earth was once an incandescent mass, the surface of 
which has cooled, leaving the interior still in molten state. 
They tell us that, if anything, the earth was formerly cooler 
than it is today." 

Professor Jaumann, in his inaugural address, as rector of 
the Polytechnic of Brunn, Germany, (June, 1913), says: "We 
were taught at school that the force of gravitation is always 
the same everywhere and in all circumstances. Few scientists 
would be rash enough to say so today. The general opinion is 
that it is not the same; but the how, the why, and the* 
wherefore of its variations are as yet a mystery." 

William Harmon Norton, professor of Geology in Cornell 
University, in his "Elements of Geology," a popular text book, 
tells us, (page 305) : "While all the hypotheses of the earth's 
beginning are as yet unproved speculations, they serve to bring 
to mind one of the chief lessons which geology has to teach — 
that the duration of the earth in time, like the extension of the 
universe in space, is vastly beyond the power of the human to 
realize." 

Many quotations, some still more striking, could be given'i 
but these must suffice. Well might the last author quoted have 
continued his very truthful statement by declaring: "Through 
faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word 
of God." 

"What saith the Scripture?" — Geology calls on us to 
believe that the creation of the world and all the changes which 
have taken place in it are the result of the laws of Nature 
working through long and indefinite processes without any 
sudden change or miraculous interposition of Almighty Power. 
This is inconsistent with Scripture, reason, and facts. It 
necessarily points us to pantheism and atheism. It does not 
seem possible that when God said, "Let there be light," an age 
of thousands of years should be required to bring it about. 
Is it reasonable then to suppose that the other six days were 
long periods of time? If the days were long ages of 
exceedingly slow processes, did God keep the man waiting for 
years and periods for his bride? We read that the work of 



THE CREATION 57 

the six days took place rapidly or instantaneously at the word 
and fiat of the Creator: 

"Let there be light, and there was light." 

"Let there be a firmament and it was so." 

"By the word of God the heavens were of old, and the 
earth standing out of water and in the water." 

"By the word of the Lord, were the heavens made and all 
the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth." 

"In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the 
sea, and all that in them is." 

"He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood 
fast." 

What impressions do such scriptures leave? That the work 
of creation was brought about not by long processes in 
accordance with established laws, but rapidly, quickly, at the 
will and word of the Creator. The laws of Nature are simply 
God's ordinary ways of working; the creation was His 
extraordinary work "by which He framed the laws of Nature 
and started them on their course. Let us not deify Nature 
and undeify God. 

The Miracle in Creation. — Here it will be objected 
again that all this is too unreasonable, too miraculous ; that six 
literal days, such as our fore-fathers believed in, were not 
sufficient for the work of creation unless we suppose everything 
to have been accomplished by miracle. To this we answer thai) 
the origin of matter and of life can be accounted for only by 
admitting the fact of miracle. Which is the greater miracle, 
the. creation of a drop of water or of a world? It is as great a 
miracle to create an acorn and cause it to grow into an oak as 
to create the oak itself. It is as much of a miracle to create a 
child and cause him to grow into manhood as it is to form a 
man. The one is no more miraculous than the other. The 
miracle is all about us. As Christians we build upon the 
miracle, for the very foundation of Christianity is miraculous; 
and six days, or even a much shorter period of time, if God 
had been so minded, would have been amply sufficient for the 
accomplishment of the work of creation. 



58 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Meaning of the Word "Day." — It is true that the word 
"day" is used in Scripture in three ways. It is sometimes used 
to denote an indefinite period of time ; as, "the day of the 
Lord," etc. Again, it is used to denote a certain period of time 
set apart for a definite purpose; as, "the day of atonement," 
etc. The other use made of this word refers to that part of 
the solar day ruled by the sun. "God called the light day, an4 
the darkness he called night." And this is the sense in which 
the word "day" is used throughout the first chapter of Genesis. 
Why should the use of the word "day" refer to the lighted 
portion of twenty-four hours in some parts of this chapter am' 
to vast periods of time in other portions of the same account? 
The use of the words "evening" and "morning," as constituting 
the day, indicates that only a single diurnal revolution is 
intended. 

The Sabbath as Proof of Literal Days. — Possibly the 
strongest proof that the days mentioned in the first chapter 
were literal days is the reference to the seventh day, a season 
of holy rest. "On the seventh day God ended his work which 
he had made ; and he rested on the seventh day from all his 
work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, 
and sanctified it." According to the fourth commandment, 
man's week for labor and rest is founded upon God's creation, 
week. Thus early we have the institution of the weekly 
sabbath. It had its beginning with the creation of the world, 
and is to continue to the end of it. We can not conceive of 
this as being a period of indefinite time, for such a view would 
destroy the primeval institution of the sabbath. The fourth 
commandment positively refers to the institution of the Sabbath, 
day on the day following the creation days and gives the solemn 
commandment that man is to labor six days and rest the 
seventh day in commemoration of that event. This appears as 
positive proof that the six working days of creation were literal 
days, just as the seventh day was a literal day of rest. 

Important Truths Concerning the Creation 
1. The Genesis account Scientific. — We notice, first, 



THE CREATION 59 

the relation of scientific truth to Bible truth. 

The Genesis account of the creation is not unscientific and 
is not antagonistic to the discoveries of true scientific research. 

Urquhart names the following points in which Genesis and 
science are in agreement: — 

1. The creation of matter. 

2. The material universe is formed of the same matter. 

3. The earth and the heavenly bodies constitute a unity. 

4. The introduction of energy : "The spirit of God moved 
on the face of the waters." 

5. The creation of light. 

6. The creation of the expanse — firmament. 

7. The separation of dry land from the waters. 

8. Vegetation before animal life. 

9. The creation of heavenly bodies. 
10. The cessation of the creative work. 

Again and again science with its speculations has been 
compelled to bozv in submission before the simple and brief 
account of the creation in God's Holy Word and thus add to 
the many "infallible proofs' of its divine inspiration, authen- 
ticity and authority. 

■ But we wish ,to warn our readers against the many 
criticisms of' Genesis which parade as true science and which 
cannot be true because of their inconsistency with the Bible, 
which is the highest authority. Those who set forth the idea 
that true science and the Bible are in conflict are deceived 
because they have not accepted the Word of God in its fulness, 
as the highest authority on subjects which concern human 
beings, but have made their own opinions and man's ideas and 
discoveries the only criterion to guide their lives and their life 
work. Ever since the beginning of the Christian Church the 
great storm centers of the Old Testament have been the six 
days of creation, Eden, the tower of Babel, the destruction of 
Sodom, Lot's wife, the exodus, and Jonah and the whale. 
These have all been classed as unscientific ; nevertheless after 
centuries of storm the Bible still stands. Many of the best 



60 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

scholars and brainiest men of Germany, England, and America, 
together with thousands of less conspicuous Christian believers, 
are clinging to the integrity of these Old Testament narratives. 
L. T. Townsend, a prominent educator, says, "The reasonable- 
ness of appealing to the Bible on all matters concerning which 
it speaks has been firmly enough established to justify the use 
of its disclosures as to the Author of creation. And no one 
who reads carefully its revelations can doubt that it teaches 
clearly, repeatedly, and emphatically that Christ before He was 
born in Palestine appeared somewhere on earth in a place called 
Eden; that there He created man and woman, and that to 
them, as to all living organisms at the outset, He gave life, and 
endowed that life with the power of self-propagation." 

Sir John Reade said, "When a boy's faith in the Bible 
narrative totters, his faith in morality will totter also." This 
is no less true in the case of mature minds. The book of 
Genesis gives a literal statement of facts as they actually 
occurred. This is the view held by the child reared in the 
Christian home. To him the story is literal in all its par- 
ticulars. No difficulties stand in the way. The child reads, is 
interested, is perfectly satisfied, and believes. Let us exercise 
the same, simple, childlike faith. 

2. There is no room for the theory, of evolution in the 
history of the creation. 

The term evolution need not in itself alarm the Christian. 
We have no objection to it if understood to mean the fulfilment 
of the plans of the Creator in Nature as to the individual 
growth, structure, function, and variation of the species. The 
kind of evolution to which we do object is the spontaneous 
evolution of nothing into matter and energy, and of these intc 
all the wonderful and complicated forms of growth and of the 
origin of species, which it considers yet to be in a condition of 
change to something higher. This objectionable view could 
only have come about through the rejection of the supreme 
Being and of the miracle. If we believe in God we also 
believe in the miracle. But if we deny His existence, we rule 
out the miraculous and have to say that this visible universe 



■ THE CREATION 61 

Thas either existed from eternity or rose by chance out of 
matter — that it was evolved without intelligence or design, by a 

-process running through countless ages. 

A century ago the skeptical philosophers taught that visible 
things were without beginning. They spoke of the "infinite 
series of things," "the endless chain," and "the everlasting 
circle" in which all things revolve, without beginning or ending. 
They affirmed that Nature could know no change and abhorred 

. a miracle. 

If we deny the miracle there is no alternative left us but 
either to adhere to the old philosophy, "the everlasting circle," 

-or to follow the new philosophers who believe that the first 
man sprang from the bull (as certain Persian teachers taught), 
or the still more ridiculous theory that man was evolved from 
the monkey or some animal still lower in the scale of creation, 
as the evolution philosophers of the present day teach, which i? 

-nothing different, in fact, than a modern version of the old 
Pagan myth that the world is carried on the back of an 
elephant, the elephant supported on the back of a turtle, and 
that the turtle rests on a stump. There is no difference between 
this and saying that a man rests on a monkey, the monkey on a 
frog, the frog on a fish, the fish on a turtle, the turtle on a 
grasshopper, the grasshopper on a dragon-fly, the dragon-fly on 
a wriggler in the water, the wriggler on an amoeba, and the 
amoeba on a primordial cell. It is all alike evolution. Granting 
the theory that some evolutionists hold that God created the 
primordial cell and then set the whole series off in its upward 
march, there is no way to account for God-consciousness, the 
religious nature and the sense of sin. The highest beasts have 
not even a trace of them. 

Much more could be said, but why prolong the story? 
Space will not permit of it in a brief chapter like this, and it 

-is not necessary for a clear comprehension of the truth. 

God is the Creator of all things. Species may change 
with environments, but never develop into new species. Reason 

^proclaims it, Nature proclaims it, God's Word proclaims it. 
3. Effects of simple faith. Finally, we notice the effect 



62 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

which simple faith in the story of the creation has upon the 
devout Christian. Our hearts receive a strong impression of 
God's — 

Eternity : "Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my 
God, mine Holy One" (Hab. 1:12). "Before the mountains 
were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and 
the world, even from everlasting to evarlasting, thou art God" 
(Psa. 90:2). . 

Immutability'. "The Father of lights, with whom is no 
variableness, neither shadow of turning" Qas. 1:17). 

Omniscience: "His understanding is infinite" (Psa. 147:5). 

Omnipotence-. "I know that thou canst do everything" 
(Job 42:2). "With God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26). 

Omnipresence'. "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or 
whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into 
heaven, thou art there : if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou 
art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in 
the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead 
me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the 
darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about 
me" (Psa. 139:7-11). 

When we dwell upon the thought that He created heaven 
and earth and all that they contain ; when we behold the starry 
heavens shining forth in their celestial splendor, the heavenly 
planets sweeping along in their majestic orbs; when we behold 
this wondrous earth, so admirably adapted to the best interests 
of man; when we think of God's bountiful provision for the 
eternal bliss and glory of man by providing for him the heaven 
of heavens and making it possible for man to reach it, our 
hearts burst forth in gratitude and praise, and we fee 1 ; 
constrained to join with the heavenly hosts in singing, "Bless- 
ing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and 
power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen." 






CHAPTER III 
MAN 

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? — Psa. 8:4. 

The most interesting study for man is man. Created in the 
image of his Maker, he is, like his Creator, incomprehensible. 
The medical profession has for ages been making a study of 
"his physical mechanism and preservation, and yet there are 
many questions which come up in their line that they must 
answer, "I don't know." Philosophers have made a study of 
"his mind, yet there are bounds beyond which they have never 
"been able to go. Considering his soul, there are likewise 
questions concerning which human wisdom car at best but 
speculate. Man is at once the best known and the least known 
of all God's creatures that wear the physical form. It is to 
this wonderful being that the following thoughts are directed. 

His Origin 

We shall dismiss, as unworthy of consideration, the idea 
that man is a natural descendant of the lower animals, for that 
error is absolutely without Scriptural foundation. The Bible 
narrative is so very plain on this point that no believer in its 
-authenticity can for a moment entertain any other theory. 
Turning to Gen. 1 :26 we read : "And God said, Let us make 

man in our own image, after our likeness So God 

created man in his own image, in the image of God created he 
him; male and female created he them." How did God create 
man? "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the 
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and 
man became a living soul" (Gen. 2:7). 

Thus it will be seen that man was a separate and distinct 
creation, in no way related to the lower animals. He is in a 
class all by himself ; in his physical makeup resembling the 



64 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

lower animals, in his intellectual, moral, and spiritual makeup* 
resembling his Creator. 

His Makeup 

In the Image of His Maker. — "God created man in his- 
own image." Whatever may be said with reference to form 
when the question of man bearing the image of God is in con- 
sideration, it is evident that it is in being that man* bears the 
image of God. This form of ours is but "the house we live 
in." Soon it will return to the dust whence it came (Gen. 
3:19), while "man goeth to his long home" (Eccl. 12:5). 
"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the 
spirit shall return unto God who gave it." It is true that in 
the resurrection we shall all be called forth, and that when our 
Lord will come again, "we shall be like him;" but this simply 
emphasizes that it is in our being that we are in the image of 
our Maker. Man bears the image of his Maker in intelligence, 
in morality, in spirituality, in immortality. 

While on this subject we should also bear in mind that 
sin separates us from the perfect image of God. They who 
renounce God and follow after Satan are conformed to the 
image of him whom they follow. When Paul says that they 
who behold the glory of the Lord "are changed into the same 
image," he conveys the thoughts that we had a different image 
before the change. In our moral and spiritual makeup we re- 
semble him whom we follow. They who choose the devil as 
their father (Matt. 13:38; Jno. 8:44) bear his image. They 
who cry, "Abba, Father," bear the image of their heavenly 
Father. The highest privilege accorded to man is to shine in 
the image of his Maker. 

Kinship. — By creation, all men are children of God. If 
we are true to the purpose of our creation, we shall continue 
this relationship forever. We have blood relationship with 
every man, woman, and child in every clime and age. "God . . 
hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all' 
the face of the earth" (Acts 17:24-26). This disposes of the 
silly notion that the different races now existing are of differ- 



MAN 65 

ent origin. "Logically, it seems easier to account for the di- 
vergence of what was at first one, than the union of what was 
at first heterogeneous." 

Intelligence. — The. difference in intelligence between 
man and the lower animals is that while the latter are governed 
by instinct man is governed by reason. It matters not that in 
certain instances the instinct of animals is so marked that it 
outshines the reasoning faculties of some inferior classes of 
men, the distinction between the intelligence of man and that 
of the lower animals is universally admitted. Man is the only 
created earthly being who bears the image of God in intel- 
ligence, the only difference between God and man being that 
while man is finite God is infinite. 

Morality. — Morally, as well as intellectually, man bears 
the image of his Maker. "God hath made man upright" 
(Eccl. 7:29). His reasoning faculties cause him to look at 
questions from the standpoint of right and wrong. A monitor 
(conscience) has been placed within him to prompt him at all 
times to take the side of right and thus be with the Lord. So 
long as man is true to the purpose of his creation he continues 
to shine in the moral image of God. As such he is upright, 
truthful, honest, pure, clean, sympathetic, reverent, pious, de- 
voted, worshipful, buoyant, hopeful. 

It is only when man falls or drifts away from his right 
attitude toward God that reason gives way to passion, intelli- 
gence is supplanted by lust, purity is destroyed, and man de^ 
scends to a level with the lowest beast. In fact, it has been 
said that man is the only animal that is really depraved. The 
horse, the hog, the cow, the crow, the lion, the leopard, the 
moose, the muskrat, all fill the purpose for which they were 
created. It is true that they move in a much lower plane than 
that laid out for man, but in the infinite wisdom of God they 
were called into existence to fill the place assigned them, and 
true to their creation they are filling their place. It is left for 
man alone to defy his Creator, despise his inheritance, fling 
reason away, give way to passion, and wallow in the mire of 
beastly degradation. Moved by satanic impulses, he descends 



66 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

from the highest to the lowest scale in morals. Go to the vile 
dens inhabited by humans, demons, and vermin! behold the 
wretchedness and degradation — then go to a quiet, devotional 
service where men and women, cleansed from sin, filled with 
the Spirit and moved by heavenly impulses are worshipping 
the Lord in the beauty of holiness — and you have before you 
the wonder of the age : why the great mass of humanity should 
forsake the way of holiness and prefer to rot in the mire of 
sin and the image of the devil ! The fatherhood of sinful man 
and the Fatherhood of man born again account for the differ- 
ence in moral image between man lost and man redeemed. 

Spirituality. — When the lower animals die their bodies 
decompose and that is the last of them. When man dies his 
spirit returns "unto God who gave it." Inasmuch as "God is 
a Spirit" (Jno. 4:24) and "we are the offspring of God" (Acts 
17:29), there remains no question as to us bearing the image of 
God in spirituality. This leads us to the consideration of our 
next subject, namely — ■ 

Immortality. — When Paul said that "sin entered into the 
world, and death by sin ; that death passed upon all men, 
for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12), he proclaimed the doc- 
trine that sin is the cause of death, and that if man never 
would have sinned, he never would have died. Moreover, since 
the edict was given, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou 
shalt surely die," it follows that if man would have never eaten 
of it he would have never died. As further proof of this we 
quote the language of God at the time He drove Adam and 
Eve from the garden of Eden : "Behold, the man is become as 
one of us, to know good and evil : and now, lest he put forth 
his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live 
forever: therefore . ..." (Gen. 3:22. 23). We understand, 
then, that God created man immortal ; that when man sinned 
"death passed upon him ;" that that day he died a spiritual 
death, while physical death also set in, and man became mortal. 

When God conveyed these facts to Adam, He also con- 
veyed the fact that a Redeemer was coming (Gen. 3:15), a new 



MAN 67 

tree of life (Rev. 22:2, 14) of which man may eat and live 
forever. 

One thing should be remembered as we consider the im- 
mortality of the soul, and that is the fact of its eternal 
existence. The fact of death reigning in the soul (Eph. 
2:1; Rev. 21:8) has nothing to do with its existence. Quick- 
ened by the Spirit, the soul lives, and in this condition is 
alive with God forever and ever. Devoid of eternal life, 
it is forever banished from God, "suffering the vengeance 
of eternal fire" (Jude 7) — in either case having eternal 
existence. There are those who tell us that man has no soul; 
that when a man dies he is dead, just as any other dead 
animal is dead; that death means death and life means life, 
and that is all there is to it. If there were only atheists 
who hold this view, we would pass it by in silence, just 
as we do many other atheists' denial of Bible truths. But 
when we hear of people who pretend to believe God, to 
accept the Bible as His Word and an expression of His will, 
and still hold that kind of theory, it is fitting that we examine 
the Bible on that point. The eternal existence of the soul, 
living or dead, is clearly presented in Matt. 25 :46 : "And these 
shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous 
into life eternal." That a man may be spiritually dead and 
naturally alive is evident from such passages of Scripture as 
these: "She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth' 1 
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and 
sins." That the soul is a part of man separate from his cor- 
poreal existence and animation is evident from such scriptures 
as these : "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the 
whole world, and lose his own soul." "And I saw the souls of 
them that were beheaded . . . ." etc. The Bible is clear in its 
evidence that man has an immortal soul to be saved or to be 
lost, to spend eternity in the realms of the blest or in the re- 
gions of the doomed. God has designed that man should shine 
in His image, not only in time, but in eternity. 

Free Agency. — Man is a free agent, in that he is at 
liberty to choose whatever course in life he will. There is not 



68 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

a voluntary action of ours, but that we might have done the 
very opposite had we chosen to do so. In the garden of Eden, 
there was placed before Adam and Eve the tree of life and the 
tree of knowledge of good and evil. They could take of one 
and live forever, or they could take of the other and die. 
God says to us, "Behold, I have set before you this day a 
blessing, or a curse : a blessing if ye obey, a curse if ye do 
not obey." When Joshua stood before his people he gave them 
their choice : "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve." God 
gives man the freedom of choice, which of necessity carries 
with it a moral obligation, as we shall notice later on. We talk 
of being "compelled" to do so and so. There is nothing in it, 
unless perchance we were physically overpowered and com- 
pelled to go through motions to which our wills gave no assent. 
But so far as the human will is concerned, it is absolutely free ; 
we may will to do as we please. If we are saved, 'it is because 
we have voluntarily accepted Jesus Christ, not because we were 
compelled' to accept Him. If we are lost, it is because we 
voluntarily rejected Him, not because some one compelled us 
to remain away from Him. The forces of this world have 
power over the body, and through influence have power over 
the mind; but the human will is the sole property of its pos- 
sessor. We are absolutely free to will as we please, and, so 
far as there is freedom from physical obstructions, we have 
power to act as we will. 

"But," says some one, "does this not conflict with the doc- 
trine of predestination? Did not God raise up Pharoah to 
serve the very purpose which he carried out? Was not Judas 
Iscariot raised up to carry out his nefarious plot against 
Christ? Was not Christ crucified by the 'determinate counsel 
and foreknowledge of God?' How harmonize the freedom of 
the will with these facts?" 

In reply to these questions we wish to state, in the first 
place, that the statements we made with reference to the free 
agency of man are self-evident and absolutely in harmony with 
Scripture. If therefore any theory or doctrine is contradicted 
thereby, the trouble is with said theory or doctine. not with 






MAN 69 

Scripture nor with what we said in support of Scripture. The^ 
theory that God has fore-ordained some to be lost and fore- 
ordained others to be saved, and that therefore they will be 
saved or lost according to this fore-ordination in spite of them- 
selves, is utterly at variance with God's Word and plan of 
salvation. The Bible does uphold predestination, but only the 
kind that is based upon fore-knowledge. Rom. 8:29. We can 
easily see how that God, fore-knowing all things, saw thousand^ 
of years before how Pharoah and Judas and Cyrus and many' 
other men would act upon their own free will, and predestinat- 
ed them to their lot and fate. But that is not saying that these 
men could not have done otherwise had they so willed and that 
He would not have had a different work for them had they 
chosen to be different from what they were. If fatalism were 
the true doctrine of predestination, then all the world would be 
saved; for God says distinctly that it is not His will that any 
should perish, "but that all should come to repentance" (II 
Pet. 3:9). But since man is a free agent, salvation is offered 
to "whosoever will." The Gospel is free; and all who will, 
may partake of its glorious benefits. 

Responsibility. — Man's freedom of choice fixes upon him 
the responsibility for the choice he makes. If God had fore- 
ordained us to be saved or lost, then God would be responsible 
for our salvation or damnation. But since the Gospel is for 
"whosoever will," upon each individual rests the responsibility 
of choosing or rejecting it. Along with the privilege of choos- 
ing comes the responsibility for the results of our choice. 

Man is a responsible being. "The soul that sinneth, it 
shall die," is the divine edict. "Whosoever shall call upon the 
name of the Lord shall be saved," emphasizes the responsibility 
of choice on the other hand. "We must all appear before the 
judgment seat of Christ." "So then every man must give ac- 
count of himself to God." "Whatsoever a man soweth, that 
shall he also reap." 

A Compound Being. — Man is a compound being. He 
has many qualities in common with the lower animals ; at the 
same time he has intellectual, moral and spiritual qualities in 



70 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

common with his Maker. There is a fleshly side and a spiritual 
side to him. Walking after the flesh, he is carnal, beastly, 
devilish. Walking after the Spirit, he is upright, holy, God- 
like. For a study of the dual nature of man, read the seventh 
chapter of Romans. 

While man resembles the lower animals in physical struc- 
ture and carnal passions, he is also endowed with a mind that 
enables him to rule the world; a mind that has power, in a 
single moment to girdle the earth; in one moment exploring 
the starry heavens, the next, sinking deep down into the bowels 
of mother earth ; at one moment, interesting itself with the 
groveling things of time and sense, the next, casting itself 
heavenward and communing with our Maker. Withal man 
is the possessor of a soul that refuses to go down into the 
dust with the tenement of clay that provides for it a temporary 
home; but, at the point of dissolution, takes its flight to the 
great God who gave it existence. 

As we view this matchless being whom God has been 
pleased to call man ; on the one hand weak, helpless, unworthy, 
while on the other he stands as a son of God and joint heir 
with Christ of immortal glory ; on the one hand so weak that 
Christ says to him, "Without me ye can do nothing," but on 
the other, rising on wings of faith and by grace and power of 
God able to say, "I can do all things through Christ;" without 
the grace of God the vilest of all creatures, while through the 
atoning merits of the blood he becomes the noblest handiwork 
of God, we are made to cry out with the psalmist and send 
this confession to the throne of God: "I will praise thee; for? 
I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thy 
works." 

The Ideal Man 

We hear much of the ideal man. Outside of Christ, that 
man has never lived since the fall. No past nor future "gold- 
en age" can produce such a man. Yet we find him in Adam. 
'And God saw everything that he had made (including man), 
and, behold, it was very good." Of man it is said, "God hath 



MAN 71 

made man upright" (Eccl. 7:29). He was perfect — unmarred 
by sin, untrammeled by death, in full dominion over all the 
earth. It is interesting to note the characteristics of this ideal 
man. 

1. He was upright. "God hath made man upright." 
So far as integrity, honesty, faithfulness, reliability, etc., were 
concerned, there was not a flaw in his character. 

2. He was intelligent. The Bible description of primitive 
man ("a little lower than the angels") does not harmonize 
with the Darwinian version (a little higher than the monkey). 
Adam did something that the wisest of naturalists now living 
are not able to do : "And Adam gave names to all cattle, and 
to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field" (Gen. 
2:20). No man since Adam has ever attained his height in 
intelligence. 

3. He zvas industrious. He was charged with exercising 
dominion over all the earth (Gen. 1:28, 29), especially to 
keep and dress the garden (Gen. 2:15). The temptation for 
man is to take it easy, and the idealist dreams of plenty of 
money with nothing to do. But God looked at things differ- 
ently, and when He placed man into the best circumstances 
possible He gave him plenty of work to keep him busy. The 
tramp life is not the highest ideal. Idleness is not conducive 
to the development of the best there is in man. 

4. He had an ideal home. Not only was it a home of 
peace and plenty and love and happiness and usefulness, but 
the specific commandment was given to "be fruitful and 
multiply." "Race suicide" had no part in Edenic perfection. 
It is a natural result of human depravity. No home can be 
ideal without children in it. If, under the providence of God, 
children are withheld from any married couple, then let them 
throw open their homes to other children whom misfortune has 
rendered homeless. The home was ideal in the sense that the 
cheering presence and holy influence of God was there. 

5. He zvas free from death. When God said, "In the day 
thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die," He also taught us 
that so long as Adam refrained from eating the forbidden fruit 



72 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

he should continue to live. So long as Adam obeyed there was 
no death in him. 

6. He was subject to temptation. Was this ideal? Yes; 
Christ also was subject to temptation, and we give Him the 
greater glory because He did not yield. What can give us 
more genuine satisfaction than the knowledge that we have 
stood the test, overcome the tempter, conquered by the power 
of the blood of the Lamb? Adam was the happier, his life the 
more glorious, because of the presence of the tree of knowledge 
of good and evil — so long as he did not yield. Therein lies our 
warning against the danger of rushing into temptation. Know- 
ing our infirmities, we should not cease praying, "Lead us not 
into temptation." 

7. He was perfectly happy. Pure, sinless, no death in his 
system, no pain to cause him uneasiness, no depravity to 
distract his soul, a life companion agreeable in every respect, 
in the midst of the most delightful surrounding's, plenty of 
work to keep him busy, the constant and cheering presence of 
God to bring joy into his soul, his lot was most delightful and 
glorious. 

8. He was in full communion with God. "And God 
said," is heard frequently in connection with the description of 
Edenic conditions. These were messages of perfect wisdom, 
perfect love, giving perfect satisfaction to the soul. The most 
delightful experience of any child of God is his communion 
with His Maker. His most comforting experience is the 
abiding presence of the Holy Comforter. Thus was the 
happiness and glory of Adam and Eve made complete because 
God was in their presence. 

Such were the conditions in the ideal life of our first 
parents. There were conditions there which we can not hope 
to reach. This world has since been spoiled by sin, and all 
men have become affected by it. But so far as lies within our 
power, let us look to this perfect model and strive to reach it. 

The Fall 
In an evil hour man lost his inheritance, fell from his 



MAN 73 

lofty station, and brought the shame and disgrace of sin and 
of death upon the whole human family. The devil made Eve 
believe that she could better her conditions, and a shameful 
fall was the result. Through a mixture of truth and falsehood 
he made her believe that she was unduly restricted from her 
highest privilege by not being allowed to partake of the tree of 
the knowledge of good and evil, and in reaching forth for 
this "larger experience" she opened her eyes to behold herself 
a fallen creature, subject to the aches of an evil world. 

We are not to discuss, at this time, the consequences of 
the fall. That is to be considered fully in a succeeding chapter. 
All that we wish to do here is to note the fact of the fall, 
compare it with the glorious state which was sacrificed in the 
transgression, leaving the reader to reflect upon the monu- 
mental folly of turning aside from the Word of God and 
accepting in its stead the device of Satan. 

We have already described conditions in Eden. Let us 
now contrast with this man's pitiable condition in the fall. 
Innocence was no longer a part of their character. Shame, 
fear and sorrow had now taken possession of the soul "dead in 
trespasses and sins." They were driven from the Garden, the 
ground was cursed for their sakes, and with flaming sword 
were they kept from the tree of life, lest they eat of it in their 
awful condition. Looking at man in his fallen condition we 
note his wretched depravity. "Even his mind and conscience 
is defiled" (Tit. 1:15). Without hope, without God, cursed 
from God, in the throes of death, with nothing but certain, 
fearful, eternal doom staring him in the face is the awful 
condition which man brought upon himself when he turned 
aside from the ways of God, listened to the voice of the 
tempter, -and tried to improve upon his condition which under 
the providence of God blessed his soul. As an outcast from 
the paradise of God, outcast from His presence, robbed of 
purity, robbed of peace, depraved, wretched, in bondage to sin 
and to Satan, poor, fallen man presents a lamentable spectacle 
as compared with his former glory. May heaven pity his 
condition ! 



74 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

The Promise 

And heaven did pity poor, fallen man. When God 
conveyed to Adam and Eve the knowledge of what they had 
done, He graciously coupled with this the promise of a 
Redeemer. Gen. 3:15. That they might not make the 
mistake of eating of the tree of life and live forever in their 
pitiable condition, he set a watch over the tree of life and 
kept them away from it. The goodness and love of God are 
nowhere more strikingly evident than in this hour of man's 
deplorable fall. In the promise of the Redeemer there was 
unfolded to man a plan of salvation which included a more 
glorious state even than that which man enjoyed in Eden. 
Here they were subject to temptation and falling; over yonder 
we shall be forever removed from the power of the tempter, 
and sin will never defile nor enter the sacred domain of the 
blest. Thus in the fall of man a larger sphere of glory is 
opened to him, and God is correspondingly more glorified. But 
for the fact that through the fall millions of souls are forever 
lost to God, we might even have a feeling of gladness that man 
did fall and this more glorious and eternal haven of rest was 
opened up to him. But God is wise. It was not His will that 
man should fall. He had made abundant provisions for man's 
well being and glory, and gave special warning as to what 
would happen in case man transgressed. Man proved unfaith- 
ful, however, and this world presents an awful spectacle of 
wretchedness and depravity, prefiguring the still more appalling 
conditions in the eternal realms of the doomed. At the same 
time the world also contains numerous object-lessons showing 
us God's goodness and glory, evidences that "all things work 
together for good to them that love God." Let us praise Him 
for His boundless love and goodness to the children of men, 
and spend our lives in the great work of persuading men to 
accept His redemptive plan. 

The Mission of Man 
In all of God's dealings with man, He has some design in 
what He does. The practical question for man is, What is my 






MAN 75 

mission? what is God's design in placing me here and keeping 
me here? Too many people imagine that they are here to get 
all they can out of the world; whereas, they should consider 
that God keeps them here to the end that they may put all they 
can into the world. Selfishness is one of the greatest enemies 
to the human soul. The man who dreams of spending his life 
in gratifying his carnal desires here, and then, growing pious 
and turning to God just before death, will find himself 
grievously mistaken. No man with a spark of the love of God 
in him will think of such a course. "Except a man be born of 
God, he can not see the kingdom of God." The new birth 
takes all the selfishness out of our souls. Like our Master, we 
want to spend our lives to the glory of God and the eternal 
weHiare of human souls. God gives us existence here that we 
might be glorified with Him in eternity. Our mission is, not 
only to be true to Him so far as we ourselves are individually 
concerned, but also to spend our lives in the great work of 
rescuing souls from the thralldom of sin and building them up 
in the service of God. If going to heaven were all that God 
wanted of us, He would take us at once to glory after our 
conversion. But the very fact that He keeps us here is 
evidence that He has a mission for us to fill. As a human 
family we have filled our mission only when the whole human 
family is safe for glory. As individuals we have filled our 
mission when we have done all in our power to bring about 
that happy result. 

Future Destiny 
This present world is but a shadow of the world to come. 
The conditions in the realms of the blest are fore-shadowed in 
the experiences of God's people. The conditions in the regions 
of eternal doom are fore-shadowed in the lives of the unsaved. 
Here we speak of two roads: the broad and the narrow, the 
wrong and the right, the Satan-controlled and the heaven- 
directed, the road that "leadeth to destruction" and the way 
"that leadeth unto life." This all foreshadows two destinies, 
of which the Bible plainly speaks. As there are only two roads 
there will be only two destinies, only two places for the eternal 



76 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

abode of immortal souls. One of these is the place "prepared 
for you," provided you are true to the purpose of your 
creation. The other is the place "prepared for the devil and his 
angels," into which also will be cast the wicked, "and all the 
nations that forget God." 

Here, in a single vision, in vivid contrast, do we see the 
whole history, the whole duty, the whole of the opportunity 
and the possibility of man. It is noteworthy that our eternal 
destiny will not be fixed at the judgment bar but in this 
present life. When at the judgment bar the words "righteous" 
and "wicked" will be used, there will be expressed, in one 
single word, the condition of our lives and our choice of places 
for eternity. Time is a mere probation for eternity, fulfill 
your proper mission in time, and your soul will be enriched 
and glorified for and in eternity. 



CHAPTER IV 

ANGELS 

The angel of the Lord encampeth round about 
them that fear him, and delivereth them. — Psa. 34:7. 

The Bible speaks of three classes of intelligent beings : 
«God, angels, man. Angels are ministers and messengers. As 
such the name has been applied to Christ, the great Messenger 
from heaven, the Mediator between. God and man ; to prophets 
and preachers, who as ministers and messengers have done so 
much to make God's Word and will known to man; to the 
elements, which are often used in a providential way to remind 
man of his condition and duty to God ; to the innumerable 
hosts of celestial beings, to whom the word angels is most 
commonly applied. 

From the fact that the word angel means a minister or 
messenger, and as such has been applied to other beings and 
objects outside the celestial beings to which this chapter is de- 
voted, some have gotten the idea that these celestial beings are 
but the creation of the human fancy and have tried to torture 
all scriptures referring to them as meaning simply man, wind, 
fire, or other agencies through which God makes known Hi 
will to man. But this view is so manifestly absurd, and so 
contrary to the tenor of all Scripture that we shall not waste 
time to prove its fallacy. On the other hand, we shall dismiss 
all consideration of any other meaning of the word save that 
applied to these heavenly beings. 

Angels are vastly inferior to God, but far superior to man 
in intelligence and power. They are a class of invisible, 
immaterial beings, concerning whom many questions may be 
asked which man can not answer. There is no specia' 
description of them to be found anywhere in the Bible. Their 
origin is not definitely stated. Their relation to God and man 



78 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

is not accurately denned. Yet the Bible so frequently make" 
mention of them and their work in a matter-of-fact way that 
the faithful reader may learn much concerning them. Because 
of this lack of definite information concerning particulars on 
the one hand, and of numerous reference to them on the other 
hand, many fanciful theories and wild speculations find their 
way into the printed page. These we shall endeavor to avoid. 
As we write we breathe a prayer that God may direct our pen 
and that we may be led to say the things that will be helpfu*. 
to the reader in a higher appreciation of God's bountiful 
provisions for the safety and well being of man. 

Their Origin 

They are created beings. "All things were made by Him" 
(Jnp. 1:3. See also Neh. 9:6). Men and angels were 
created by God for purposes which we know in part now and 
hope to know in completeness hereafter. As to the time of 
their creation, we can only guess. On this the. Bible is silent. 
Many suppose that this time may at least be inferred from 
what God said to Job : "Where wast thou when I laid the 

foundations of the earth ? when the morning stars sang 

together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:4, 
7) ? It is thought by some that when the work of creation was 
completed the angels were present and celebrated the work of 
the Divine Architect. 

Then another question arises : Were the evil angels 
included in this host which sang together? There seems to be 
no reasonable doubt that God created but one kind of angels ; 
that what are now the evil angels were among the holy angels 
in the beginning. Jude refers to "the angels which kept not 
their first estate" (Jude 6), showing that their first condition 
was not the miserable condition in which they now find them- 
selves. Christ refers to Satan as "a murderer from the 
beginning" who "abode not in the truth" (Jno. 8:44), which 
proves that he was once in the truth. We conclude, therefore, 
that in the beginning God created the innumerable hosts of 
heavenly beings which man has been pleased to call "angels ;" 



ANGELS 79, 

that they were all holy, "very good" (Gen. 1:31); but that. 

through pride or other causes a portion of them fell and 

became angels of their chief, the devil. ^ 

Their great Number 

We spoke of the angels as "innumerable hosts." Behold 
the vision which Jacob saw, a ladder reaching from heaven to 
earth, and the angels of God descending and. ascending upon 
it. Gen. 28:12. Again, as he was on his way to meet his 
brother Esau he met another company of angels which he is 
pleased to call "God's host" (Gen. 32:2). Elisha and his 
servant had a glimpse of what God has provided for man in 
the form of "ministering spirits" when they were permitted to- 
see the mountains around them filled with horses and chariots,, 
so that it was clear to the servant that they that were with, 
them outnumbered even the mighty hosts of Syria. Christ had 
only to say the word, and "more than twelve legions of angels 
from heaven were ready to come and deliver Him from the 
power of His enemies. Matt. 26:53. As for evil angels, there 
are enough of them that the lake of fire was expressly prepared 
for the eternal abode of "the devil and his angels" (Matt. 
25:41). Paul refers to "an innumerable company of angels" 
(Heb. 12:22). John on Patmos saw and heard angels number- 
ing "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of 
thousands" (Rev. 5:11). 

It has been said, and we believe it, that if our eyes could 
be opened and see, as Elisha and his servant saw for a brief 
time and as God and angels see all the time, we would behold 
myriads of these celestial beings, around us, above us, every- 
where. But God has wisely withheld this scene from us, as He- 
has many other scenes which He knows are not for our highest 1 
interests. But by and by the ' mortal veil which hides these 
glorious visions from the sight of mortal man will be taken 
away, and with undimmed eyes we shall behold a glory which' 
beggars all description. 

Attributes 
I. Spirituality. — Angels are spiritual beings, without 



80 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

material bodies. "Of the angels he saith, Who maketh his 
angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire" (Heb. 1:7). 
True, they have appeared to man in visible, tangible form, jus J 
as God has at sundry times and in divers manners mad< 
Himself visible to man; but all such appearances have been 
miraculous, God and angels appearing to man in some tangibh 
form that their being and office might be the more clearly 
comprehended by man. When the Holy Ghost appeared at 
the baptism in the bodily form of a dove we do not therefore 
get the idea that the -Holy Ghost has the form and substanc 
of a dove. Neither do we get the idea that angels wear the 
flesh simply because they have at times appeared to men in 
human form. Paul says that they are "ministering spirits." 
Christ says, "A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me 
have" (Luke 24:39).' Angels, whether in their original or 
fallen state, are spirits, subject to God or to Satan, according 
to their choice. 

2. Individuality. — Angels are not an unrecognizable 
mass of beings, in that there is no distinction among them, but 
they are possessed with individual traits and offices, just like 
human beings. This is evident from the fact that the names 
and offices of some of them are mentioned in Scripture. Thus 
when the angel said to Zacharias, "I am Gabriel" (Luke 1:19). 
the faithful priest recognized that it was the same angel who 
centuries before had appeared to Daniel to bring important 
messages. Dan. 8:16; 9:21. When we hear the name 
Michael, we think at once of conflict (Jude 9; Rev. 12:7) for 
that seems to be the special mission of this angel. Thus among 
angels, as among human beings, individual angels have their 
individual traits and offices which distinguish them from other 
individuals. * 

3. Immortality. — Angels are immortal, not subject to 
death. Concerning the future condition of the righteous Christ 
says, "Neither can they die any more; for they are equal 
unto the angels" (Luke 20:36). Men and angels differ in this: 
while the immortal soul of man is for the time being placed in 
mortal bodies, angels are not thus limited, for angels have no 



ANGELS 81 

material bodies. After the death of man's mortal body, men 
and angels are alike immortal. This has nothing to do with 
the eternal condition of souls or of angels. That the evil 
angels are to exist forever is evident from the fact that an 
eternal place, an everlasting condition, has been prepared for 
them. Matt. 25 :41, 46. This reference is but a sidelight 
showing that the immortality of angels (both good and bad) 
is taken as a matter of course. 

4. Power. — Superhuman power is ascribed by the in- 
spired writers to the angels. David says that angels "excel 
in strength" (Psa. 103:20). In one single night Sennacherib's 
army was destroyed by the same power. II Kings 19:35. 
Angels bore the ransomed soul of Lazarus home to glory. 
Angels, "mighty angels," will accompany our Lord when He 
returns to earth to gather together the elect and to execute 
judgment upon the unrighteous. Matt. 13:39-42; 25:31; II 
Thes. 1:7). These are a few of the many references to the 
immense power of these heavenly beings. Whether it is 
strength, mighty deeds, or great velocity of motion that is 
under consideration, the power of angels can not be measured 
by any standard which marks the limitations of the power of 
man. 

5. Intelligence. — We noted the fact that angels are 
inferior to God and superior to man in wisdom. That angels 
are finite beings is evident from the fact that to the Church 
of Jesus Christ have been revealed things that in former times 
angels desired to know (I Pet. 1:12), while even now there 
are things unknown to angels (Matt. 24:36). When Christ 
says, "Not even the angels of heaven," He infers that they 
are of an exceedingly high standard of intelligence yet not 
infinite in knowledge. The Jews had a very lofty opinion of 
the intelligence of angels, as is shown by the testimony of the 
woman of Tekoah : "My lord is wise, according to the wisdom 
of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth" 
(II Sam. 14:20). Free from the impediments which limit the 
knowledge of man, and inquisitive enough to "desire to look 
into" the mysteries of God, they are a class which far outstrips 



82 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

man in intelligence ; yet they fall below the sphere of infinity,, 
which belongs alone to God. 

6- Goodness. — This quality belongs, of course, to those 
angels only which kept their first estate. Fallen angels, like 
fallen men, have lost their goodness. But the angels of God 
are among the all things which God created and pronounced 
"very good." Their goodness is evident from the fact that, 
they worship the God of heaven (Neh. 9:6; Phil. 2:9-11) and 
are subject to Him in all things as His messengers and 
ministering spirits to His saints. Subject to God in heaven, 
ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation, it is needless to 
produce arguments to prove their goodness. 

7. Benevolence. — Again we name a quality which be- 
longs to the angels of God only. The devil's angels are as 
fully bent on the destruction of men as the angels of God are 
faithful to their highest interests. But God's messengers and 
ministering spirits are occupied in acts of benevolence. And 
as God's ministers they serve Him in carrying out His judg- 
ments. For illustrations, think of the many instances recorded', 
in Scripture where angels ministered to the wants and the 
comfort of God's people. Having meditated upon what the 
angels do for the living, take another look beyond the grave 
and see the soul of Lazarus transported home to glory by 
angels of the Lord. Hear the heavenly hosts sing the glad 
lefrain, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good 
will toward men." 

8 Happiness. — Again we pause to draw the distinction 
between the angels of God and the evil angels. The angels 
which left their first estate forfeited everything belonging to- 
it, including happiness. But who can think of the myriads of 
heavenly hosts, ministering to the wants of the elect, rejoicing 
over sinners returning to the fold, in the hallowed presence of 
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, uniting with the saints' of God 
in singing the heavenly anthems, without conceding their glory 
and their happiness. They "do always behold the face of my 
Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 18:10). 

9. Glory. — This follows from what has already been 



ANGELS 83 

noticed. Angels who are filled with goodness, intelligence, 
power, wisdom, purity, happiness, benevolence ; ministering to 
the necessities of saints, serving as God's messengers and 
intermediaries between God and man, glorifying God (Isa. 
•6:3; Luke 2:14; Rev. 4:8), and in His continual presence, 
can be considered in no other light than as glorious and, 
glorified beings. 

Offices and Work 

1. They are Ministering Spirits. — Which ones? All 
the holy angels — -"Are they not all ministering spirits" (Heb. 
1 :14) ? Shall we attempt to enumerate all the instances cited 
in God's Word where angels served in this capacity? The 
list is too long. Behold the vision of Jacob's ladder with 
angels descending and ascending upon it. See the angels of 
the Lord in their ministrations to Abraham, to Daniel, to 
Zacharias, to the Virgin Mary, to the shepherds of Bethlehem, 
to the wise men, to the women at the tomb, to Peter in prison, 
to John on Patmos, etc. A careful search confirms us in the 
conviction that there is at least one guardian angel appointed 
for each person, and that so long as we are faithful we have 
the advantage of their guardianship. "The angel of the Lord 
encampeth round about them that, fear him, and delivereth 
them" (Psa. -34:7). "He shall give 'his angels charge over 
thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (Psa. 91:11). "In heaven 
their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is 
in heaven" (Matt. 18:10). "For this cause ought the woman 
to -have power on her head because of the angels" (I Cor. 
11:10). After Christ had triumphed over the tempter "angels 
came and ministered unto him" (Matt. 4:11). '-"-' 

, The Bible is full of illustrations proving the point in 
consideration. It is a comforting thought that in all times of 
temptation and trial the angels of God are not far away, and 
that at no time need we count ourselves without friends and 
without support. 

2. They are God's Messengers. — Behold the messengers 
of God bringing to Abraham the news of God's purpose 



84 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

concerning Sodom; to Jacob, comforting him at a time when 
he felt himself utterly forsaken; to Isaiah, telling him of his 
life work; to Zacharias, telling him of the coming of John the 
Baptist; to the Virgin Mary, telling of the coming advent of 
Christ; to the shepherds of Bethlehem, announcing the birth 
of the Savior; to Peter in prison, showing him the way out; 
to John on Patmos, revealing the glories and trials and- 
triumphs of the Christian Church ; to many others which 
space forbids to mention. Oh the riches brought to the Church 
of Jesus Christ through the ministrations of these heavenly 
messengers ! 

3. They Execute the Purposes and Judgments of God. 
— God makes use of angels in the work of carrying out His 
will concerning men. The angel of the Lord entered the Assyrian 
camp and slew 185,000 men ; stood in the way of Balaam, and 
convinced him that he was more stupid than the beast upon 
which he rode ; overawed the guards at the tomb as our 
Savior rose in triumph. Angels directed the work of separat- 
ing Lot from his evil associates; proclaimed the glad tidings 
that a Savior was born to earth ; will be the servants of God 
gathering together the golden sheaves for the final harvest 
(Matt. 13:41, 42); will accompany Christ the King when He 
comes to visit judgment upon the wicked (II Thess. 1:7). Af 
God uses angels as His ministers and messengers in this 
dispensation, so will He use them as His messengers and 
executors in the judgment to come. See Matt. 25:31, and II 
Thess. 1:7-9. 

4. They Glorify God. — Nowhere do we find any one 
more fully devoted to the praise and glory of God than are 
these heavenly beings. ''When God laid the foundations of the 
earth these morning stars rejoiced together and shouted for 
joy." — Wakefield. Hear the message of the cherubim who 
sang in the presence of Isaiah : "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord 
of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isa. 6:3). 
Listen to the heavenly refrain heard on the hills of Bethlehem : 
''Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will 
toward men" (Luke 2:14). There never was an appearance of 



ANGELS 85 

angels among men that God was not thereby glorified. No 
message from these heavenly beings has ever been heard that 
did not have in it the element of praise and worship to 
Almighty God. Themselves full of the glory of God, one of 
their chief offices is to glorify His name, and to lead men into 
the same channels. Then let us not forget to imitate the 
example. By and by we shalf be in the presence of His glory, 
where saints and angels unite in singing His praise forever. 
Let our lips proclaim the praise of Jehovah, joining with the 
heavenly hosts in singing, "Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, 
and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto 
our God forever and ever." 

What the Bible does not Teach 

As noted before, there are many things which we would 
like to know about angels and concerning which the Bible is 
silent. Other things are taught only by inference. This leaves 
much room for the imagination. Men have exercised their 
imaginations, and as a result many things which have no Bible 
foundation have been taught as facts. To attempt to mention 
and combat all errors would make this chapter too long. So 
we shall confine ourselves to a few things which the Bible 
does not teach. The Bible does not teach— 

1. That angels have zvings. Perhaps they have — we 
would be the last to say that they have not; but the Bible does 
not say that they have. More than this, since angels are spirits, 
not material beings, they have as little use for wings as has 
the human soul after leaving the mortal body. The laws which 
govern the movements of spirits are entirely different from the 
ones governing the movements of material bodies. There is one 
notable reference (Isa. 6:2) which seems to contradict the 
statement which stands at the head of this paragraph. But it 
should be borne in mind that if this proves that all angels have 
wings, then it proves that the men (angels) mentioned in Gen. 
18:2, Gen. 19:2, and Acts 1 :10 must also have had wings. The 
fact is, angels, like God Himself, have at different times, for 
purposes of recognition, appeared to men in tangible form ; 



86 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

but this proves nothing concerning their form as spiritual 
beings. Our main purpose in calling attention to this thought 
is to encourage the idea of thinking of angels as spiritual, not 
material, beings. 

2. That angels inhabit the planets. Perhaps they do. 
If God has need of them there they are certainly there, just as 
they are in heaven and on earth. But as for them needing a 
place to live, as mortal man needs a place to live, there is 
nothing in the Bible, or outside of it, to substantiate the 
theory. When the soul of man leaves this mortal body 
it will not stop on any of the planets but will go direct to God 
who gave it. A spirit needs no material planet upon which to 
test its feet. 

3. That angels are the disembodied spirits of people who 
lived in former zvorlds that have been destroyed. All that we 
care to say about this theory is that the Bible is so absolutely 
silent upon it that it is absolutely without Bible foundation, 
and therefore can be nothing but idle speculation. 

4. That the righteous will become angels in the glory, 
world. This doctrine has enough foundation to find its way 
into hymn books. Who has not been moved with the song, 

"I want to be an angel, 
And with the angels stand." 

But the merit of that song ends with its poetic ring. . The 
Bible nowhere speaks of good people becoming angels. Saved 
people are saints here, they will be saints in heaven. Angels 
had existence before man was formed. While angels are; 
spirits, saints will appear in glory in glorified bodies. While 
the saints of God "are as the angels in heaven" in a number of 
respects, it is quite clear that they are not now, nor will they 
ever become, angels. 

Those who believe that the righteous on earth will become 
angels in heaven pften quote Rev. 22:8, 9, where an angel, 
represents himself as John's fellow-servant, as proof for their 
theory. But a careful examination of that reference will- 
convince any one that it teaches no such doctrine. We have 
already noticed that angels are ministers and messengers of 



ANGELS 87 

God in carrying on His work. Man also performs the same 
offices, but in a different sphere. It is therefore true that men 
and angels are "fellow-servants" of God even though they 
work in different realms of the Kingdom. When it comes to 
the recognition of brethren it will be noticed that the angel 
does not say "our brethren the prophets,'' but "thy brethren 
the prophets," showing that while he classed himself with John 
and the prophets as a "fellow-servant" he recognized a 
distinction when it came to a classification of orders of beings. 
This verse is in harmony with the rest of the Scriptures in 
recognizing saints and angels as two distinct orders of beings, 
subject to and in the service of the same God. 

Eternal Destiny 

Of the Unrighteous Angels. — On this the Bible is clear. 
The eternal lake of fire was "prepared for the devil and his 
angels" (Matt. 25:41). Jude says that God left the fallen 
angels to their own habitation, ''reserved in everlasting chains 
under darkness unto the judgment of the great day" (Jude 6). 
In other words, there is no escape from their fallen condition, 
and in the final judgment they will be consigned, together 
with Satan and all the wicked to the eternal place prepared for 
them. Matt. 25:41; II Pet. 2:4; Jude 6. 

Of the Holy Angels. — There are two things which we 
have already noticed concerning the holy angels: (1) They are 
immortal. (2) They are God's constant, faithful, ministers 
and messengers. We noticed their presence in the creation, in 
the Old Testament dispensation, in the New Testament 
dispensation, in the judgment — and can we by any possible 
means come to the conclusion that they being immortal can 
spend eternity in any other place than in the presence of God 
and the blood-washed throng of heavenly saints? What the 
relation between saints and angels will be in eternity no one 
knows ; no one needs to know : but we have abundant reasons 
to believe that both will be immeasurably happy and crowned 
with glory forever. 



CHAPTER V 

THE BIBLE 

The Word of our God shall stand forever. — lsa. 40:8. 
A Revelation From God 

"In the beginning God," are the significant and suggestive 
opening words of Holy Writ. As nature is an effect whose 
cause is God, so the Bible is an effect whose cause is God. 
He "who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath 
shined in our hearts" (II Cor. 4:6). 

When we consider the infinite wisdom, power, and good- 
ness of God on the one hand, and the folly, frailty, and sinful- 
ness of man on the other, we readily see that a supernatural 
revelation was at once possible, probable, and necessary. The 
Bible is that one universal and supernatural message of God 
to man. It is the only infallible and authoritative revelation 
of God's will ; the only, yet the all-sufficient source of divine 
truth. Its opening chapters tell us of the primitive happiness 
of man in unbroken communion with God, his Maker, and 
with free access to the tree of life the fruit of which had the 
property of extending life perpetually. The next we hear of 
this once happy being we find him in ruins through dis- 
obedience and sin. A curse falls upon him, but with the curse 
the gracious Maker wraps up a promise of redemption through 
the seed of the woman. As revelation unfolds itself through 
many centuries we see the scarlet thread of redemption strung 
with bright jewels of promise of the Coming One until in the 
fullness of time the Redeemer appears. "God commendeth his 
love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died 
for us" (Rom. 5:8). "As by one man's offence death reigned 
by one, much more shall they that receive the abundance of 
grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through One, 
Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:17, R. V.). 



THE BIBLE 89 

Thus we have in the Bible an unfolding of the plan and 
process of salvation. Tracing this to its closing chapters, we 
find that we have been following the perimeter of a golden 
circle; for here we find man, as redeemed, now doing His 
commandments, once more having access to the tree of life, no 
longer in the garden into which Satan may enter, but in the 
Xew Jerusalem into which in no wise shall enter anything that 
defileth or maketh a lie, but the throne of God shall be in it 
and his servants shall serve him and they shall see his face. 
Rev. 21:27; 22:3, 4. 

"Most wondrous book! bright candle of the Lord! 

Star of eternity! the only star 

By which the bark of man could navigate 

The sea of life, and gain the coast of bliss 

Securely: only star which rose on Time, 

And, on its dark and troubled billows, still, 

As generation, drifting swiftly by, 

Succeeded generation, threw a ray 

Of heaven's own light; and to the hills of God, 

The everlasting hills, pointed the sinners eye." — Pollok. 

Names, Titles and Symbols 
Bible/ — This title is both unique and suggestive. It 
denotes at once unity and pre-eminence. The term "Bible" is 
derived originally from the Greek word biblos, a name applied 
to the outer bark of the papyrus reed which the ancients used 
for writing material. The name of the material then passed 
into the use made of it, and biblos came to mean book. There 
is an interesting bit of history connected with the form and 
use of the word. The diminutive of biblos is biblion, i. e, 
'little book." Both forms are frequently found in the New 
Testament. For example, we have biblos in Matt. 1 :1 ; Mark 
12:26; Luke 3:4; Acts 1:20; Phil. 4:3 and Rev. 20:15. 
Biblion is the form used in Luke 4:17; Jno. 20:30; Gal. 3:10; 
Heb. 10:7. The plural of biblion is biblia. This plural form 
we find in John 21 :25 and II Tim. 4:13. It was this diminutive 
plural form "biblia" that came to be generally applied to the 
Scriptures about the middle of the second century. As we 
have seen, the term biblia is the plural form of the word in 
Greek. Later the Latin Christians applied the same form to 



90 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

the Scriptures as a whole. They called the Bible "Biblia." 
This form is in the singular number in Latin. From this 
singular noun in Latin we have the English form, "Bible. " So 
the term "Bible" is derived from the original Greek plural, 
biblia and the later Latin singular biblia. The Bible, in keeping 
with the history of the word, is composed of books; but it is 
also pre-eminently the Book. It is as high above all other 
books as its Author is above all other authors. 

"It is the book of God. What if I should 

Say God of books! 

Let him that looks 

Angry at that expression, as too bold 

His thoughts in silence smother 

Till he find such another." 

The following incident may again be repeated : Sir Walter 
Scott when dying said to his son-in-law, "Bring me the Book." 
Looking at the twenty thousand volumes in the library of the 
great author, Lockhart inquired, "Which book would you like?" 
The dying man replied, "There is but one Book — the Bible." 

2. The Scriptures. — This is the title most frequently 
used by the early Christians and is often found in the Bible 
itself. ' See Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:24; Luke 24:27; Jno. 
5:39; 10:35; Acts 8:35; Rom. 4:3; I Cor. 15:3; II Tim. 
3:16; II Pet. 1:20. The word "scriptures" means writings. 
The term is applied to sacred and divine truth that has been 
committed to writing. Our Savior (Cf. Jno. 21 :25) as well as, 
holy men of God spoke many truths that have not been re- 
corded. Such truths are not Scripture. It is a noteworthy 
fact too that the Greek word graph e translated scripture is 
never applied to mere human "writings. 

3. Testament. — The word "testament" properly sig- 
nifies covenant. This term is not derived from the form but 
from the matter of the Scriptures. It is the term used by God 
I Hmself to designate the relation between Himself and His 
people. Gen. 6:18; 15:18; Ex. 2:24. The Bible mentions 
seven great covenants: The Adamic (Gen. 3:14-19), The 
Noahic (Gen. 8:20 to 9:27), The Abrahamic (Gen. 12:1-3), 



THE BIBLE 91 

The Mosaic (Ex. 19 to 30), The Palestinian (Deut. 30:1-9), 
the Davidic (II Sam. 7:5-19), and the New Covenant (Heb. 
8:6-13). The expression new covenant (testament) was first 
used by Christ at the institution of the Lord's supper, and 
later was immortalized by Paul as applying to the ministry of 
grace as accomplished and revealed in the new dispensation. 
Later the Jewish Scriptures were called the Old Testament. 
In the third century Origen speaks of the divine Scriptures as 
the Old and the New Testaments. Thus we see that the term 
that was first used to designate the relation between God and 
His people was finally applied to the books that contained a 
record of that relation. 

4. The Word of God. — This is the term most frequent- 
ly used in the Bible. (See Mark 7:13; Luke 8:21; Acts 6:7; 
II Cor. 4:2; I Thess. 2:13; Heb. 4:12; I Pet. 1:23; Rev. 
1 :2.) This title seems to be more suggestive and impressive 
than any other. "Words," says Wordsworth, "are the incarna- 
tion of thought." The Word of God is the incarnation of the 
thought of God. This impressive and expressive title is also 
applied to the Savior. (See Jno. 1:1; Rev. 19:13.) Christ is 
the living Word, as the Bible is the written Word. Between 
these there is a striking analogy. The following comparisons 
from Collett are worthy of note : 

"Both are the expression of the mind of God. 

Both partake of the human and the divine. 

Both have an eternal existence. 

Both came as God's message to bless a lost world. 

Both are despised and rejected of men. 

Both will judge us at the last." 

5. Other Characteristic Terms. — It is interesting to 
notice the three psalms which deal in a special way with God's 
Word: Psalms 1, 19, 119. In the first, David speaks of the 
blessedness of the man that meditates "in the law of the Lord." 
In the nineteenth, he draws an analogy between the perfection 
of the law of God as operating in the material, and as 
manifesting itself in the spiritual world. Just as there is 
perfect harmony in the law of the physical world, so the Law 
of God is "perfect, converting the soul." As there is nothing 



92 BIBLE DOCTRINE % 

hid from the heat of the natural sun, so the Sun of Righteous- 
ness lights every one coming into the world. Jno. 1 :9. In the 
119th Psalm we have the law of God portrayed in seven 
prismatic colors : "testimonies," "ways," "precepts," "statutes, '* 
"commandments," "judgments," "word." Each of these terms 
has its shade of meaning and it is a matter of interest to 
notice the use of each. It is significant too that this psalm of 
176 verses (the longest chapter in the Bible) deals with the 
Word of God, and that reference to the Word is made just 
one hundred seventy-six times — once for each verse. While a 
few verses make no mention of the Word, in a few others it is 
duplicated. 

Symbols of God's Word. — The Bible is represented 
under a number of figures or symbols, each of which will repay 
a careful study. It is — 

1. The seed that begets the new birth. — Jas. 1:18; I Pet. 
1:23. 

2. The laver for our cleansing. — Eph. 5:26 (Marg.). 

3. The mirror to show us our condition. — II Cor. 3:18; 
Jas. 1 :25. 

4. The light for our pathway. — Psa. 119:105. 

5. Meat and drink for spiritual health and growth. — Jno. 
6:35; 7:37; I Pet. 2:2. 

6. A critic or discerner to approve or condemn. — Heb. 
4:12 (Gr.). 

7. The szvord or hammer for the Christian warfare. — 
Jer. 23:29; Eph. 6:17. 

Its Structure and Divisions 
i 
The Bible naturally and familiarly divides itself into two 

great parts, the Old and the New Testaments. 

The Old Testament consists of thirty-nine books as 

follows: 

Books of the law — five. 

Historical books — twelve. 

Poetical books — five. 

Major prophets — five. 



THE BIBLE 93 

IVIinor prophets — twelve. 

'The New Testament is divided into twenty-seven books, 
as follows; 

Biographical — four. 
Historical — one. 
Pauline epistles — fourteen. 
General epistles — seven. 
Prophetical — one . 

It may be of interest to notice 

The Alphabetical Arrangement of the Old Testament 

While the Jews possessed the same Old Testament Scriptures 
that we do, they numbered only twenty-two books. There were 
five books of the law, while the two books each of Samuel, 
Kings, Chronicles, Jeremiah with Lamentations, Ezra with 
Nehemiah, were counted as double books. Judges and Rutrf 
were also counted as one book but not as a double book, 
"because, Jerome says, the events of the history of Ruth 
transpired in the days of the Judges. The twelve minor 
-prophets were regarded as one book. Was there any divine 
intention in this number and arrangement? Evidently the Jews, 
understood it so. They saw a striking analogy between the 
number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet and the number of 
hooks in the Hebrew Bible. As the Hebrew alphabet contained 
twenty-two letters so the Hebrew Bible contained twenty-two 
hooks. There were five double letters in the Hebrew language 
-corresponding to the five double books in the Scriptures. 
Jerome says, "There are two and twenty letters among the 
Hebrews. But among the Hebrews five letters are double: 
Caph, Mem, Nun, Pe and Sade. Hence by most men, five 
"books are considered as double : Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, 
Ezra and Jeremiah. Therefore as there are twenty-two letters, 
twenty-two volumes are reckoned." Epiphanius adds his testi- 
mony thus : "There are twenty-two letters among the Hebrews, 
and following this number they estimate their books at twenty- 
two, although there are in reality twenty-seven. But since five 



94 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

letters among them are doubled and therefore there are really 
twenty-seven letters, which are reduced to twenty-two, so for 
this reason they enumerate their books as twenty-two though 
in reality twenty-seven.'' 

If we reckon the Hebrew Scriptures as containing twenty- 
seven books, we recognize the same number as in -the New 
Testament. This number, twenty-seven, is a trinity of trinities 
— three times three, times three. Whatever construction we 
may place upon this alphabet arrangement, we may safely 
conclude that if there be a sacred language it is the Hebrew. 
We see also that the alphabet structure enters into the inspired 
arrangement of individual chapters and books. For example. 
Psalms 25, 34, 37, 119 and 145 are alphabet psalms. The 119th 
Psalm contains twenty-two sections of eight verses each, each 
section representing a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in con- 
secutive order, and all the verses in a section beginning with 
the letter indicated. The book of Lamentations is also con- 
structed upon the alphabet arrangement. 

Unity and Design 

The sixty-six books of the Bible were written by about 
forty different authors extending over a period of about 
sixteen centuries. These human authors were the most diverse 
in personality, vocation and individual accomplishments. Here 
;s Moses, learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; David, 
the sweet singer of Israel; Solomon, the wisest among men; 
Jeremiah, the weeping prophet ; Amos, the gatherer of syca- 
more fruit; Daniel, the statesman at a foreign court; Matthews 
a publican; Luke, a physician; Peter and John, humble fisher- 
men; and finally, Paul, he who sat at the feet of the great 
teacher. Gamaliel, like Moses, a very learned man. Notwith- 
standing all this diversity of time, vocation, personality, and 
individual accomplishments, their messages blend harmoniously 
into one great volume declaring the purpose, will, and character 
of the one great God who is at the same time its "Author and 
Finisher." The subject matter of the writers and the literary 
character of the books are also most varied. Here we find law 



THE BIBLE 95 

:and history, philosophy and prophecy, biography and dogma, 
■expressed in all the fundamental literary forms known to the* 

world; and yet, amid this diversity of human authorship, 

subject matter, and literary expression, the Bible is one Book. 

The human authors are the workmen, God the architect. As 

Dryden says, 

"Whence but from heaven could man unskilled in arts 
In several ages born, in several parts, 
Weave such agreeing truths." 

The unity of purpose, the evidences of design, the sym- 
metry and perfection of parts everywhere so apparent in the 
Bible, can only be accounted for by the fact that the Bible was 
planned and executed by one Supreme, Infallible, and All- 
pervading Intelligence. 

1. Unity of the Bible Organic. — According to Cuvier, 
the greatest of modern comparative anatomists, a complete 
•organism is governed by three laws: (1) Each and every part 
is essential to the whole. (2) Each part is related to and 
corresponds to all other parts. (3) All the parts of such an 
organism must be pervaded by the spirit of life. Here we 
have unity, harmony and vitality. One cannot help but notice 
how beautifully Paul has antedated Cuvier in his description of 
organism. Thus: "In whom the whole building (unity) fitly 
framed together (harmony) groweth into an holy temple in 
the Lord (vitality)" (Eph. 2:21). Looking at the Bible as a 
building, this language has a most striking application. 

The books of the Bible, while not arranged in a chrono- 
logical, are nevertheless arranged in a logical . order. Each 
book is in its proper and natural place. None can say to the 
other, "I have no need of thee." 

Urquhart first called attention to the fact that the 
historical books of the Old Testament are linked together in 
groups corresponding to different aspects or phases of life and 
experiences in the history of God's people. The link that 
unites these several books is the Hebrew letter vav and 
should be, and usually is, translated "and." The books from 
Genesis to Numbers are thus linked together, each book 



96 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

beginning with the word "and," because they deal with Israel 
outside of the land. Those from Deuteronomy (which looks 
forward to the land) to II Kings are thus linked because they 
deal with Israel in the land. Chronicles and Ezra are thus 
joined because they relate to returning captives. Nehemiah 
and Esther, because they deal with those who did not return. 

In Titus 2:11-13 we seem to have a key to the organic 
arrangement of the New Testament. "The grace of God that 
bringeth salvation hath appeared," answering to the Gospels 
and Acts; "teaching us," etc., answering to the epistles; "look- 
ing for that blessed hope," answering to Revelation. It has 
also been observed that each one of the five epistolary writers 
stands for one great theme : Paul for faith, Peter for hope, 
John for love, James for good works, while Jude treats of 
apostasy. 

Of the many books that might be used to illustrate the 
organic and structural unity everywhere apparent in the Bible, 
space will permit the notice of but a few. Take for example 
Genesis, the first book of the Bible which speaks of first things 
and Revelation, the last book of the Bible which speaks of 
last things. 

The book of Genesis has been sundered into as many as 
a hundred and seventy fragments by the critics. That there is 
an organic unity and symmetry in the book indicating that it 
is the work of one author is evidenced by the following 
analysis based on a series of phrases found in the book itself : 

(1) The beginning (introductory), chapters 1 to 2:3. 

(2) The generations of the heavens and earth, 2 :4 to 4 :26. 

(3) The generations of Adam, 5:1 to' 6:S. 

(4) The generations of Noah, 6:9 to 9:29. 

(5) The generations of the sons of Noah, 9:1 to 11:9. 

(6) The generations of Shem, 11 : 10-26. 

(7) The generations of Terah, 11:27 to 25:11.. 

(8) The generations of Ishmael, 25:12-18. 

(9) The generations of Isaac, 25:19 to 35:29; 

(10) The generations of Esau, 36:1 to 37:1.. 



THE BIBLE 97 

(11) The generations of Jacob, 37 :2 to 50 :26. 
We see that the key phrase, "generations," which means things 
''brought forth" occurs ten times in the book and stamps it 
with an indissoluble unity and convicts the critics of sacrilegious 
error. 

In the book of Revelation we notice both an organic and 
a numerical unity. 

(1) Introductory, chapter 1. 

(2) The seven churches, 2 and 3. 

(3) The seven seals, 4 to 7. 

(4) The seven trumpets, 8 to 11. 

(5) The seven personages, 12 to 14. 

(6) The seven vials, 15, 16. 

(7) The seven dooms, 17 to 20. 

(8) The seven new things, 21, 22. 

After the introductory chapter we have here a series of seven 
sevens. 

Another interesting example of structural design is the 
passage dealing with the servant of Jehovah. Isa. 40 to 66. 
The first five verses of chapter 40 introduce the theme, Com- 
fort and Glory, through the coming servant of Jehovah. Then 
we have three sections of nine chapters each. Each section 
begins with an appeal and closes with a solemn warning. 
In chapter 40:6 we have the opening appeal, "The voice said, 
Cry." The section closes with the solemn refrain, "There is. no 
peace, saith my God, to the wicked" (48:22). The next 
section begins with the more urgent appeal, "Listen, O isles, 
and hearken ye people from afar." Again we have the closing 
iefrain, "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked" (57: 
21). Both appeals seem to have fallen upon unheeding ears, 
and the cry becomes an alarm : "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up 
thy voice like a trumpet" (58:1). The final doom of those who 
turn a deaf ear to such gracious and urgent appeals is given in 
the solemn closing words, "Their worm shall not die, neither 
shall their fire be quenched" (66:24). But that is not all. The 
middle nine chapters of the book may again be divided into 



98 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

three sections of three chapters each. The middle thred 
chapters of this section have again a middle chapter. (This 
should begin at 52:13.) The middle verse of this middle 
chapter will then be verse 5 of Isa. 53. Here we have the 
pivotal truth of the whole twenty seven chapters ; in fact, the 
central truth of the Bible : "He was wounded for our trans- 
gressions ; he was bruised for our iniquities ; the chastisement 
of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are 
healed." So in this middle verse of the middle chapter of the 
middle three of the middle nine chapters of this grand Messian- 
ic poem stands the suffering Savior, the great Remedy for sin, 
offering peace and salvation through His vicarious death. 

2. The Unity Progressive. — From Genesis to Revela- 
tion "one increasing purpose runs." The revelation of Bible 
truth is progressive. Genesis is pre-eminently a book of first 
things. We have here the beginning of light, life, love, sin. 
sacrifice, salvation, jealousy, justice and judgment, in fact every 
great truth mentioned in the Bible is here found in germ form. 
Each succeeding writer adds his quota to the truth already 
revealed, and thus carries it a step forward until we come 
somewhere to an exhaustive treatment of the subject in hand. 
There is usually but one comprehensive treatment of each great 
theme of doctrine. Any subsequent treatment or reference to 
such treatment is usually of a practical character. The 
following are examples of final and exhaustive mention of the 
subject indicated: New birth (John 3); Jesus the bread of 
life (John 6) ; Jesus the good shepherd (John 10) ; ordinance 
of feetwashing (John 13) ; unity of Christ and the believer 
(John 15) ; the high priestly prayer (John 17) ; devotional 
covering (I Cor. 11) ; love (I Cor. 13) ; giving (II Cor. 8, 
9); faith ,(Heb. 11); hope (Heb. 6); power of the tongue 
(James 3) ; resurrection (I Cor. 15). 

Two characteristic examples may be given of the progress 
of doctrine : 

a. The Doctrine of Christ in the Old Testament. The 
first reference to the coming One is found in Gen. 3:15. 
This is very general. The seed of the woman is to bruise the 



THE BIBLE 99 

serpent's head. Next we find that Christ is to be the seed of 
Abraham. Gen. 12:3. Then His lineage is narrowed down to 
the tribe of Judah. Gen. 49:10. After this He is revealed as 
a great prophet. Deut. 18:15-19. David foretells His suffering 
and death. Psalms 22. Isaiah adds the further details that 
He is to be born of a virgin (7:1) ; His name shall be called 
Wonderful (9:6); He is to be despised and rejected of men 
(53:3); and to suffer a vicarious death (53:5). Micah adds 
the place of His birth (Micah 5:2); and Daniel the time of 
His appearance (Dan. 9:25). It may here be said that these 
are only a few of the many prophecies that point forward to 
Christ. It is said there are over three hundred predictions 
concerning Him in the Old Testament. Christ is the center 
of Old Testament prophecy. "To him give all the prophets 
witness" (Acts 10:43). A. J. Gordon at one time presented 
his children with a dissected map of scores of different pieces. He 
instructed them not to try to put it together any way but the 
right way, so as not to break it. In a little while he came back and 
to his surprise the children had already put the map properly 
together. He inquired how they had succeeded so well. His 
son replied, ''Father, there is a man on the back." That 
explained it all. The father had not noticed that. The 
children had found a foot, a hand, and other different parts 
of the body here and there until they had constructed their 
man. There is a man in the Bible, the man Christ Jesus. 
The more this fact is recognized the better will one be able, 
like Philip (Acts 8:35), to begin at any scripture and find 
Christ in it and preach Christ from it. 

b. The Doctrine concerning Satan. — The character of 
Satan is revealed in at least seven different scriptures, each 
bringing out some new characteristic. First he appears as a 
liar. Gen. 3. In the opening chapters of Job we find him as 
an accuser. In Zech. 3:1 he appears as a hinderer; in Matt. 
A, as the arch tempter; in Luke 22:31. as the instigator of 
doubt ; in Acts 5, as the instigator of lies ; and finally in II 
Thessalonians he is revealed as the arch deceiver, sitting in 
the temple of God and exalting himself above all that is called 



100 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

God. It is interesting to notice how the Christian armor (Eph. 
6:10-18) is given as a safeguard against Satan as he attacks 
God's people in these different characteristics. The order in 
which the different parts of the armor are given coincides 
with the order in which the characteristics of Satan are 
revealed, and thus again the unity of the Bible is attested. 
Against Satan as a liar the Christian is provided with the 
girdle of truth ; as an accuser, his attacks are frustrated by 
•the breastplate of righteousness ; as a hinderer, he is thwarted 
by the Christian with his sandals of peace ; the shield of faith 
gives victory over him as the tempter; the helmet of salvation 
is assurance against doubt ; the sword of the Spirit is the 
weapon that defeats him in his efforts to instigate lies ; and 
finally, watchfulness and prayer safeguard the believer from 
being led astray by the man of sin, the arch deceiver. 

The Inspiration of the Bible 

1. The Nature of Inspiration. — Inspiration is that 
operation of the Holy Spirit upon the writers of Scripture by 
virtue of which they were enabled and directed to communicate 
and record divine truth without any mixture of error. Later 
we shall give some of the evidences proving that the Bible is 
authentic; that is, it truthfully records the subject matter of 
which it treats. Taking for granted then that the Bible is 
authentic and authoritative in its statements, we do not reason 
in a circle if we accept its own assertions as to its inspiration. 
Whatever it has to say on this subject is just as final and 
conclusive to the believer as that which it says on any othef 
subject. 

Let us notice first a few scriptures which in a general and 
comprehensive way describe the nature of inspiration: "All 
scripture is given by inspiration of God" (II Tim. 3:16). 
"Given by inspiration of God" is the translation of one Greek 
word, thcopncustos, and signifies, "Filled with the breath of 
God." — Cremer. Breathing consists of both inhalations and 
exhalations. God did not only inbreathe divine truth upon 
the writers of Scripture, but He also r.rbreathed it. That is to 



THE BIBLE 101 

say. He not only acted upon but through the writers. In fact, 
the very word "scripture'' signifies that which is written. 

Another passage bearing out the same thought is II Pet. 
1 :20, 21. Here we see that "holy men of God spake as they 
were moved by the Holy Ghost." Notice, holy men spake as 
they were moved. The Holy Ghost acted upon and through 
them in uttering the truth. The Old Testament is a record of 
such utterance. The reference is to the "prophecy of Scrip- 
ture" (Ver. 20), which in its preceptive and predictive aspect, 
occupies a large part of the Old Testament Scriptures. 

In considering the nature of inspiration, let us see how it 
differs from revelation and illumination. Failure to do this 
has frequently led to endless confusion and contention. 

a. Inspiration Distinguished from Revelation. — In revela- 
tion God makes known to man truth not known before, 
or not knowable to man in any other way. In other words, 
in revelation there is a discovery of new truth. "All 
scripture," we have noticed, "is given by inspiration." Not 
all, however, is given by revelation. Inspiration guides the 
writer in communicating truth' given by revelation. It also 
guides him in selecting and faithfully recording truth previous- 
ly known. 

b. Inspiration Distinguished from Illumination. — Illumin- 
ation may be defined as that operation of the Holy Spirit upon 
God's children whereby they are enabled to understand and 
appreciate divine truth. Illumination is common to all Chris- 
tians while inspiration is confined to the writers of the 
scripture. Illumination is continuous ; inspiration is inter- 
mittent. Illumination admits of degrees, some Christians 
being more enlightened than others, while inspiration does not 
admit of degrees. By way of illustration let us notice that 
there may be 

(1) Inspiration without revelation, as for example, the 
book of Chronicles, Esther, the greater parts of the Gospels 
and Acts and Philemon. 

(2) Inspiration with revelation: The Pentateuch. See 



102 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Ex. 20:1; 24:4; Deut. 31:24. Paul's writings. See Gal. 
1:11, 12. The book of Revelation. Rev. 1:1, 11. 

(3) Inspiration without illumination. See Num. 24: 
15-24; Jno. 11:49-52; I Pet. 1:10, 11. 

(4) Inspiration with illumination. See I Cor. 2:12, 13. 

(5) Revelation without inspiration. See Jno. 21:25; 
II Cor. 12:4. 

(6) Revelation without illumination. See Dan. 12:8, 9; 
I Pet. 1:12. 

(7) Revelation with illumination. See Dan. 9:23-27; 
10:1, 8, 21; Matt. 13:1-23. 

(8) Illumination without inspiration. See Luke 24:32, 
45; Jno. 14:26; I Jno. 2:27. 

(9) Revelation and inspiration with illumination. See 
Dan. 10, 11; I Cor. 2:10-13. 

(10) Revelation and inspiration without illumination. 
See I Pet. 1:10-12. 

2. Proofs of Inspiration. — Among the many proofs that 
the Bible is inspired the following may be mentioned: (1) 
its moral sublimity; (2) its historic integrity; (3) its scientific 
accuracy; (4) its literary excellence; (5) its organic unity; 
(6) its gracious influence; (7) its remarkable preservation; 
(8) the testimony of archaeology; (9) the testimony of 
Christian experience; (10) the fulfilment of prophecy; (11) 
the declarations of the Bible itself. 

Space will admit only the consideration of the last proof- 
given. 

a. Proofs from the Old Testament that the Old Testa- 
ment is inspired : — ■ 

(1) Testimony in the Pentateuch: "I will be with thy 
mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say" (Ex. 4:12). "God 
spake all these words" (Ex. 20:1). "Moses wrote the words 
of the Lord" (Ex. 24:4). "Ye shall not add unto the word 
neither shall ye diminish aught from it" (Deut. 4:2). 

(2) Testimony from the historical books: "Joshua wrote 
these words in the book of the law of God" (Josh. 24:26). 



THE BIBLE 103 

'The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my 
tongue'' (II Sam. 23:2). 

(3) Testimony from the poetical books: ''The words of 
the Lord are pure words : as silver tried in the furnace of 
earth, purified seven times" (Psa. 12:6). "Forever, O Lord, 
thy word is settled in heaven" (Psa. 119:89). "Therefore I 
esteem all thy precepts all right (omitting the italics)" (Psa. 
119:128). "Thy word is true from the beginning" (Psa. 119: 

160). "Every word of God is tried: trust in him. 

Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou 
be found a liar" (Prov. 30:5, 6, R. V.). 

(4) Testimony from the prophetical books: "Hear, O 
heavens, and give ear, O earth : for the Lord hath spoken" 
(Isa. 1:2). "The word of the Lord came unto me" (Jer. 1:4). 
"Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak 
with my words unto them". (Ezek. 3:4). "Daniel had a 
dream and visions .... then he wrote the dream, and told the 
sum of the matters" (Dan. 7:1). Among the minor prophetical 
books, Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Micah, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechar- 
iah, each begin with, "The word of the Lord came." Amos 
and Obadiah begin with, "Thus saith the Lord," while Nahum, 
Habakkuk and Malachi have the word "oracle," or "burden" 
in the opening verse. 

It has been calculated that such expressions as "Thus 
saith the Lord," "The Lord spake," and "the word of the Lord 
came" are found 3,808 times in the Old Testament. 

b. Proofs from the Nezv Testament that the Old Testa- 
ment is inspired. — ■ 

(1) Jesus believed that the Old Testament scriptures 
were inspired and absolutely trustworthy. This should be final 
to all Bible believers. He quoted three times from the book of 
Deuteronomy when tempted by the devil. Notice also the 
following passages giving Jesus' estimate of the Old Testament 
Scriptures: "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures" (Matt. 
22:29). "All things "must be fulfilled, which were written in 
the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning 



104 , BIBLE DOCTRINE 

me" (Luke 24:44). "Search the scriptures" (Jno. 5:39), 
"The scriptures cannot be broken" (Jno. 10:35). Jesus 
believed in these miraculous narratives of the Old Testament : 

The creation. Matt. 19:4. 

The flood. Luke 17:27. 

The destruction of Sodom. Luke 17:29. 

Lot's wife. Luke 17:32. 

Jonah and the whale. Matt. 12:40. 

(2) The testimony of Peter: "The Holy Ghost by the 
mouth of David spake" (Acts 1:16). "Holy men of God spake 
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (II Pet. 1:21). "Be 
mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy 
prophets" (II Pet. 3:2). 

(3) The testimony of Paul: "God spake in time 

past by the prophets" (Heb. 1:1). "The Holy Ghost 

saith" (Heb. 3:7. Cf Psa. 95:7.) "All scripture is given by 
inspiration of God" (II Tim. 3:16). 

c. Proofs from the Nezv Testament that the New Testa- 
ment is Inspired. — 

(1) Testimony of Jesus: "Heaven and earth shall pass 
away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matt. 24:35). 
"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have 
commanded you" (Matt. 28:20). 

(2) Testimony of an angel: "No word from God shall be 
void of power" (Luke 1:37, R. V.). 

(3) Additional testimonies in the Gospels: Read and 
connect, Matt. 24:35; Jno. 14:26; Jno. 16:12; Matt. 28:19, 
20; Jno. 16:12, first clause; 16:13, last clause, Jno. 17:20, 
last clause. 

(4) Testimony of Paul : "The things that I write to you are 
the commandments of the Lord" (I Cor. 14:37). "The gospel 
which was preached of me" I received "by revelation of Jesus 
Christ" (Gal. 1:11, 12). "The word of God which ye heard 
of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in 
truth, the word of God" (I Thess. 2:13). 

(5) The testimony of Peter: "In all his (Paul's) 
epistles, as also the other scriptures" (II Pet. 3:16). 



THE BIBLE 105 

(6) The testimony of Jude : "Remember ye the words 
which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord 
Jesus Christ" (Jude 17 R. V.). 

(7) The testimony of John: "If any man shall add 
unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are 
written in this book : and if any man shall take away from 
the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away 
his part .out of the book of life" (Rev. 22:18, 19). 

c. The Extent of Inspiration. — Practically all professed 
followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are ready to say, I believe 
in the inspiration of the Bible. If, however, inquiry be made 
as to what is meant by inspiration, the answers may be quite 
different. Let us briefly examine a few of the popular but 
erroneous theories regarding inspiration, and then give what 
we believe to be the true scriptural position. 
Erroneous Theories 

1. The Intuition Theory. — According to this theory the 
writers of the Bible merely possessed in a higher degree the 
natural insight into truth common to all men. Moses was 
inspired, so was Plato; Paul was inspired, so was Shakes- 
peare. There may have been a difference in the degree, but 
not in the kind of inspiration. This theory, while popular, is 
God-dishonoring,', and those who hold it can, at best, be but 
''blind leaders of the blind." 

2. The Illumination Theory. — This theory holds with 
the intuition theory that inspiration of the writers of Scripture 
was not of a special kind. While it denies that all men are 
inspired, it claims inspiration for all Christians. The produc- 
tions of religious men of the present day, it is claimed may 
have equal, and even superior worth to those of the writers 
of scripture. If this theory were true, there is no reason why 
changes should not be made in the Bible — some parts dis- 
carded, others added. Since, however, no new divine truth has 
been discovered since the days of the apostles, the inspiration 
of present-day teachers must be inferior, both in kind and 
degree, to that of the writers of Scripture. 

3. The Mechanical Theory.— This theory had its advn. 



106 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

cates in the early history of the Church. Justin Martyr, for 
example, believed the divine Spirit acted upon the writers of 
Scripture just as a plectrum acts upon a harp or lyre. Athen- 
agoras made the comparison to a flute player playing a flute. 
This theory looks only at the objective side of inspiration. 
Men were nothing but passive machines operating under the 
power that moved them. They were mere pens, not penmen. 
It is the opposite of the intuition theory, which looks, only at 
the subjective side of inspiration, and ignores an immediate 
and supernatural action of the Holy Spirit in the communica- 
tion of truth. 

4. Partial Inspiration. — The familiar slogan of this 
school is, "The Bible contains (not is) the word of God." 
Some books or parts of books are divinely inspired, others are 
not. Who or what is to determine what is inspired and what 
is not inspired? The answer is, the cleavage of critics and 
the consensus of opinion of modern scholars. Urquhart says: 
"This they have tried to do and they have given their results 
in a few encyclopedias, Bible dictionaries, and the Polychrome 
Bible. The Bible in tatters has been handed back to ministers 
and teachers all over the land as the new critical revelation." 
This theory we can only hope will die "amid its worshipers"" 
and find an early grave. 

Before passing on to the true scriptural view of inspiration 
it becomes necessary to examine the translation of a Scripture 
passage upon which the advocates of partial inspiration base 
their erroneous and destructive theory. The translation re- 
ferred to is the revised version of II Tim. 3:16: "Every 
scripture inspired of God is also profitable." From this 
language it is claimed that some scripture is inspired of God,, 
and some is not. Only that part which is thus inspired is 
profitable. Before examining this translation let us first listen 
to what a few eminent scholars have to say regarding it: 

Tregelles, the only man ever pensioned by the British 
government for scholarship, after quoting the authorized ver- 
sion, comments on the verse thus : "To some who are aware 
3$ much controversy has been carried on over this text, it 



THE BIBLE 107 

may seem as if I were assuming the authorized version to be 
correct. I do so assume, because the words will really bear no 
other rendering without violence to both sense and construc- 
tion." 

Dean Burgon has pronounced the revised version of II 
Tim. 3:16 the most astounding literary blunder of the age. 

Doctor Scrivener says, "It is a blunder such as makes 
itself hopelessly condemned." 

The great scholar and biblicist, Nathaniel West, has 
ventured the assertion that the verse was translated am- 
biguously in order to make a concession to, and a loophole for, 
.the higher critics, so as to give color to the doctrine that some 
scripture is not inspired. 

Let us now examine and compare the two translations 
with the original Greek. The phrase "given by inspiration of 
God" (authorized version) or "inspired of God" (revised ver- 
sion) is the translation of one Greek word, Thcopncustos. The 
Greek has but five words which literally translated are, "All 
scripture God-breathed and profitable." We have here two 
adjectives, "God-breathed" (theopneusVos), and "profitable" 
(ophelimos); modifying the same noun, scripture. How have 
the translators dealt with these adjectives? In the authorized 
version they are both placed in the predicate position and 
joined together by the connective "and," thus : "All scripture 
(is) God-breathed and profitable." But in the revised version 
these two adjectives are disconnected, making one modify the 
subject direct, while the other is put in the predicate position, 
thus: "Every God-breathed scripture (is) also profitable." 
One of the greatest scholars of his day said, "Any school boy 
might have been flogged for perpetrating such a translation." 
Bishop Middleton, a man who is a high authority upon matters 
of this kind says, "I do not recollect any passage in the New 
Testament in which two adjectives apparently connected by the 
copulative are so unnaturally disjoined." Years ago the same 
author challenged the production of a solitary instance in the 
compass of the whole Greek language where the divulsion 0"5 
two adjectives standing and connected as these two in II Tim. 



108 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

3:16 could be found and justified. No one has yet succeeded 
in finding one. In fact the revisers stand self-condemned in 
the translation of this passage by their translation of passages 
of similar construction elsewhere. For example, take Heb. 
4:13: "All things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with 
whom we have to do." Here the noun is "all things." The 
two adjectives modifying it are "naked" and "open." As in 
II Tim. 3:16 the verb is wanting. To be consistent with them- 
selves the revisers would have had to translate, "All things 
naked are also open," etc. Of course, the absurdity preventedi 
them from doing so. "What reason," asks Nathaniel West, 
"can they give for violating Greek syntax in translating II 
Tim. 3:16? They can give no reason. They have been 
challenged over again and again to do it and have remained 
silent. The truth is they yielded to the demands of higher 
criticism." 

It has been well said that the passage as in the authorized 
version stands like an angel with a drawn sword in the path 
of every mad prophet who would seek to deny the plenary 
inspiration, infallibility, and supreme authority of God's Word 
in order to make room for criticism. 

It now remains for us to consider the true scriptural view,, 
namely, 

Plenary Inspiration 

By this is meant that the Bible is inspired from cover to- 
cover; that every part is alike inspired, and that the words of 
Scripture express, inerrantly, the truths God wished to convey. 
As H. B. Smith has said : "Inspiration gives us a book r 
properly called the Word of God, inspired in all its parts. 
The inspiration is plenary in the sense of extending to all the 
parts, and of extending also to the words." A. A. Hodge 
defines plenary inspiration as "a divine influence, full an<^ 
sufficient to secure its end. The end in this case secured is the 
perfect infallibility of the Scriptures in every part as a record 
of facts and doctrine, both in thought and verbal expression."' 

Plenary inspiration may be said to be dynamical as to its 



THE BIBLE 109 

mode of operation and verbal as to its result. Objections are 
being made to these terms, but we believe if rightly understood, 
as used here, these objections would prove unfounded. Con- 
cerning the term dynamical, Canon Westcott has said : "I cant 
think of no better word which may be conveniently used to 
describe an influence acting upon living powers and manifesting 
itself through them according to their natural laws." Augustus 
H. Strong uses the same term. "Inspiration," he says, "is 
plenary, dynamical." The Greek word "dunamis" is repeatedly 
used in Scripture as referring to the power of the Holy Ghost, 
operating upon and through holy men of God. (See Luke 
1:17; 9:1; 24:49; Acts 1:8; 4:33; 6:8; II Cor. 12:9.) In 
II Pet. 1 :21 we have both the divine power or dynamic, "holy 
men were moved by the Holy Ghost," and the verbal results-^- 
these holy men spake; that is, uttered words as a result of- 
this dynamic. 

Individuality of Inspired Writers. — It is sometimes 
objected that this view of the inspiration of the Bible makes 
no allowance for the individuality of the writer. I can here 
do no better than to quote from a few authors who hold to 
the plenary inspiration of God's Word as herein defined. 
Gaussen says: "So far are we from not acknowledging this 
human individuality stamped throughout on our sacred Book 
that on the contrary it is with profound gratitude — with an 
evergrowing admiration — that we contemplate this living, ac- 
tual, dramatic, humanitary character diffused with so powerful 
and charming an effect through all parts of the book of God." 
Westcott, who was regarded as one of the greatest of modern 
scholars says : "A perfect dynamical inspiration alone is suf- 
ficient and natural. It presupposes that the same providential 
Power which gave the message selected the messenger; and 
implies that the traits of individual character and the peculiar- 
ities of manner and purpose which are displayed in the com- 
position and language of the sacred writings are essential to 
the perfect exhibition of their meaning. It preserves absolute 
truthfulness with perfect humanity, so that the nature of man 
is not neutralized by the divine agency and the truth of God is 



110 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

not impaired, but exactly expressed in one of the several 
aspects of the individual mind. The letter becomes as perfect 
as the spirit, and it may well seem that the image of incarna- 
tion is reflected in the Christian Scriptures, which, as I believe, 
exhibit the human and divine in the highest form and the most 
perfect manner." Again the same author says : "The human 
powers of the divine messenger act according to their natural 
laws even when these powers are supernaturally strengthened. 
The language of the lawgiver, the historian, the prophet, the 
psalmist, the apostle, is characteristic of the position which 
each severally occupied. Even when they speak most em- 
phatically the words of the Lord, they still speak as men living 
among men, and the eternal truths which they declare receive 
the coloring of the mind through which they pass ; they are 
authoritative because they are the voice of God ; they are 
intelligible for they are in the language of men." A. A. Hodge 
says : "The natural and the supernatural continually inter- 
penetrate, thus God providentially produced the very man for 
the precise occasion with the faculties, qualities, education, and 
gracious experience for the production of the intended writing. 
Moses, David, Isaiah, Paul, or John, genius and character, 
nature and grace, peasant, philosopher, or prince — the man and 
with him each subtle accident was providentially prepared at 
the proper moment as the necessary instrumental precondition 
of the work to be done." 

Words as well as Thought Inspired. — That inspiration 
extends to the words and not to the thought only is evident 
from the following considerations : 

1. The Scriptures directly affirm this fact. The Bible is 
a record of God's truth. But a record consists of language. 
Scripture is language, or words committed to writing. When 
the Bible declares that Scripture is inspired it thereby vouches 
for the inspiration of the words. Notice such scripture 
passages as the following: "I will be with thy mouth, and 
teach thee what thou shalt say" (Ex. 4:12). "Write thou 
these words" (Ex. 34:27). "I will put my words in his 
mouth" (Deut. 18:18). "The Spirit of the Lord spake by 



THE BIBLE 111 

me" (II Sam. 23:2). "Speak with my words" (Ez. 3:4). 
"Well spake the Holy Ghost by Isaiah the prophet" (Acts 
28:25). "We speak, not in the words which man's wisdom 
teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth" (I Cor. 2:13). 
"Write * * * * what the Spirit saith unto the churches" 
(Rev. 2:1, 11). From these scriptures we conclude that God 
is responsible for the very words uttered. 

2. God nowhere is said to have given thoughts to men 
and then left them to express them in their own words. In 
some instances at least the writers of Scripture did not under- 
stand the messages they wrote, hence they could not have 
expressed them in their own language. See Num. 22 ; Dan. 
12:8, 9, I Pet. 1:10-12, and II Pet. 1:20, 21, where we have 
the direct teaching that prophets and holy men of God spake 
not by their own will and that they searched diligently and 
inquired concerning the import of their own messages. 

3. In the Xew Testament, when quotations are made 
from the Old, we find that arguments and doctrines are based 
not only upon lengthy passages but even upon phrases ; as in 
Heb. 12:26. 27: "Yet once more;" upon single words; as 
"all" in Heb. 1:8, and "one" in Heb. 1:11; upon the tense of 
a verb, Luke 20:37, and upon the number of a noun, Gal. 3:16. 

4. Jesus in referring to the Old Testament Scriptures 
declared that ''not one jot" (the smallest letter in the Hebrew 
language), or "tittle" (a mere point in certain Hebrew letters, 
extending the base line so as to distinguish them from other 
letters) ''shall pass from the law until all be fulfilled" (Matt. 
5:18). Jesus (like Paul in Gal. 3:16) declared not only for 
verbal inspiration, but even for letter inspiration. And if 
Jesus had such a reverence and sacred regard for the in- 
violability of the Old Testament Scriptures, what should ours 
be for the Xew? Are we claiming too much when we declare 
with the great Bible scholar, Dean Burgon, that "the Bible is 
none other than the voice of Him that sitteth upon the throne 
— every book of it, every chapter of it, every word of it, 
every syllable of it and every letter of it is the direct utterance 
of the Most High?" 



112 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

5. The wisest of men frequently have trouble to express 
adequately their own thoughts, which are finite, in words;, 
how much less adequately could they be supposed to express 
the infinite thoughts of God in words if left to themselves. 

6. Warnings connected with the sacredness and in- 
violability of Holy Writ always have reference to words. 
Moses' warning is, "Ye shall not add unto the zvord which I 
command you" (Deut. 4:2). Solomon's warning, "Every word 
of God is pure .... add thou not unto his words" ( Prov. 30 : 
5, 6). John's warning, "If any man shall add unto the zvords 
of the prophecy of this book" (Rev. 22:18, R. V.). 

7. From the nature of the case it is but reasonable that 
God should make a revelation of His will in words, for that 
is the only way men have to appreciate and understand His 
thoughts and purposes. 

Testimonies of Scholarly Men. — It has been claimed by 
some that most of the great scholars of the world have 
rejected the doctrine of verbal inspiration. We give here a 
few of the many witnesses of noted scholars and Biblicists to 
this doctrine. 

"The inspiration of the Scriptures extends to the words. 
In the most formally didactic passage in the whole Bible on 
this subject (I Cor. 2:10-13) the apostle expressly asserts that 
the truths revealed by the Spirit he communicates in words 
taught by the Spirit." — Charles Hodge. 

"That we have an inspired Bible and a verbally inspired 
one, we have the witness of God Himself." — A. A. Hodge. 

"The divine influence exerted upon the writers of the 
Bible was such that what they wrote was what the Lord would 
have them say, and they were preserved from error in both 
thought and verbal expression." — William Henry Green. 

"We have the most emphatic testimony that inspiration 
extends to the words of Scripture."- — Francis L. Patton. 

"The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are 
veritably the Word of God, as absolutely as were the ten 
commandments written by the finger of God on the two tables 
of stone." — Tregelles. 



THE BIBLE 113 

"Nothing can be more clearly, more expressly, or more 
-precisely taught in the Word of God, and while other im- 
portant doctrines may be met with passages of seeming oppo- 
sition, there is not in the language of the Scriptures one 
-expression that even appears to contradict their plenary and 
verbal inspiration." — Robert Haldane. 

"I believe in the plenary inspiration of every word of the 
original text of Holy Scripture and that the inspired writers 
were infallibly guided by the Holy Ghost both in their selec- 
tion of matter and the choice of words." — Bishop Ryle. 

"Whilst the individuality of each writer was preserved 
the words themselves with their various inflections as well as 
the subject matter were given to them by the direct inspiration 
•of God." — Robert Anderson. 

Spurgeon and twenty-nine others, including the most able 
scholarly men of England, issued a manifesto, in which they 
say: "We are constrained to avow our firmest belief in the 
verbal inspiration of all the Holy scriptures as originally 
given." The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of 
America declared themselves as follows : "The Bible as we 
now have it in its various translations and revisions, when 
freed from all errors and mistakes of translators, copyists and 
printers, is the very word of God and consequently wholly 
without error." 

Remarks. — It should be remembered that the plenary 
inspiration does not always vouch for the truth of the senti- 
ments expressed. On the other hand it recognizes that there 
are sentiments recorded and designated in God's Word as lies 
and falsehoods. Such are Satan's words to Eve, "Thou shalt 
not surely die;" his words to Job, "All that a man hath will 
he give for his life." Job's friends also expressed a number 
of sentiments that were untrue, and were met with God's 
rebuke. It is true, however, that Satan lied and that Job's 
friends uttered falsehoods, and the Bible makes a true record 
of such lies and falsehoods. The fact in such cases is, the 
record is inspired and not the sentiment. 

Some Objections Considered. — Let us notice some of 



114 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

the objections to the doctrine now under consideration. Fol- 
lowing are the more important ones: 

1. The charge of discrepancies and contradictions. — It is 
admitted that there have been errors of copyists and trans- 
lators, and with these have come the variable readings, and in 
some instances seeming contradictions. The Christian Church 
has never claimed infallibility for the translations or for the 
copies of Scripture in their present form, but she does claim 
this for the original autographs. She also claims on the 
highest authority that not one important doctrine or fact of 
Christianity is affected by these variations and seeming con- 
tradictions. It stands unquestioned that if all the facts were 
known all such seeming discrepancies and contradictions would 
be removed. 

2. What docs it avail if the original autograph copies of 
the Bible were infallible if the Bible as zve have it today is 
not? We might with equal propriety say, What use is there 
in following Christ, seeing that there is no one today who is 
adequately repeating His life before us? Dr. Burrell gives 
this quaint, yet pertinent illustration : "A man who wears a 
pair of patched trousers may have little interest in knowing- 
that they were whole when they came from the tailor's hands, 
but not so in the case of the tailor. His reputation demands 
that they shall have been perfect when they were delivered." 
It has been well said that we have no more right to suppose 
that God gave a revelation of Himself and of His will to man 
that contains a single error than that we have a right to think 
that He made a world in which sin existed. 

3. Objection is made to the verbal inspiration of Scrip- 
ture because of the seeming lack of verbal conformity in the 
quotations made from the Old Testament in the New. First, 
it is a matter of fact that in most cases the quotations are 
given with perfect verbal accuracy. In the second place, it 
does not follow that if the words of the Old Testament were 
infallible and an infallible writer of the New Testament makes 
use of a passage from the Old Testament that he must transfer 
the words unchanged. A. A. Hodge well says: "Surely if a 



THE BIBLE 115 

liuman author may quote himself freely, changing the expres- 
sion and giving a new turn to his thought in order to adapt it 
the more perspicuously to his present purpose, the Holy Spirit 
may take the same liberty with His own." See also Fair- 
bairn's "Hermeneutical Manual," and Lee, "The Inspiration of 
Scripture," where this objection is fully answered. 

4. The differences in the verbal statements of the Gospels 
are sometimes held up as disproving verbal inspiration. When 
it is remembered that the four writers — Matthew, Mark, Luke, 
and John — wrote to different classes of people and that each 
one adapted his message to the purpose in hand, the verbal 
variations, the additions and omissions apparent in the four 
Gospels, and bearing in mind the great amount of unquoted 
material ( Jno. 21 :25) they had to draw upon had they needed 
it, these things will appear rather as proofs of verbal inspira- 
tion than arguments against it. Sometimes there is an appar- 
ent but not a real contradiction. 

Take, for example, the superscription on the cross as given 
by the four evangelists. Let us observe (1) that the super- 
scription was written in three different languages — Hebrew, 
Latin and Greek. (2) that according to the words of each 
evangelist preceding the superscription there was a different 
purpose in each; (3) that Matthew would likely quote from 
the Hebrew superscription, Mark from the Latin and Luke 
from the Greek. John, who wrote later and for all Christians, 
includes Jesus' place of residence which the others have not 
given. We see that just as we need the four accounts of the 
life of Jesus to give us a full and complete Gospel so we only 
get the full superscription on the cross by combining the 
accounts of the four evangelists. Let us compare these differ- 
ent superscriptions and notice that there is no contradiction but 
perfect harmony : 

Matt. 27:37: "This is Jesus the king of the Jews." 

Mark 15:26: "the king of the Jews." 

Luke 23:38: "This is the king of the Jews." 

John 19:19: "Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews." 



116 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Entire superscription— "This is Jesus of Nazareth, the- 
king of the Jews. "—Adapted from Collett. 

How We Got Our Bible 

Many faithful followers of our Lord Jesus accept the 
teachings of God's Word as implicitly as though they had just 
come fresh from the hands of the divinely inspired authors. 
Such faith is to be commended. It is not blind credulity 
because he who has an experimental knowledge of the salvation 
which the Bible offers (and moreover sees and hears what the 
Bible has accomplished for others) has as much ground for 
faith in the all-sufficiency of God's Word as the man who, 
having had his natural appetite satisfied has faith in the nour- 
ishing properties of a loaf of bread. But not all men have 
such faith. Questions like the following are being asked as 
never before: How was the Bible formed? In what language 
was it first written? What about the translation? is it trust- 
worthy? What about the books of the Bible, are they genuine? 
are they authentic? Are all the inspired books included and 
preserved in our Bible? What about the Apocrypha? Why is 
it not included? 

Such questions as these are asked not only by honest and' 
dishonest doubters, but by many honest believers, especially by 
such as come in contact with doubters and are seeking to wim 
them for Christ. Let us answer these questions under the 
following two general heads: (1) The formation of the canon. 
(2) The preservation of the canon. 

1. The Formation of the Canon. — The word "canon"' 
means rule. See its use in II Cor. 10:13-16 and Gal. 6:16. 
All the books that are divinely inspired are said to belong to* 
the canon, and as such they are the rule for our faith and' 
practice. Other books like the Apocrypha are said to be- 
nncanonical. Let us notice — ■ 

a. How the books of the Old Testament were brought 
together. It is remarkable how much light is thrown on this* 
question by the Bible itself. Besides this, there is a vast 



THE BIBLE 117 

amount of Jewish tradition. Space will allow but a brief 
reference to the latter. 

Taking these sources of information together, let us see 
what we can learn. When Moses had made an end of writing 
the law he delivered it to the priests and elders who then put it 
in the side of the ark of the covenant in the most holy place. 
Deut. 31 :9, 26. Joshua is directed to this book of the law by 
God Himself (Josh. 1:8), and at the close of his life he writes 
the book bearing his own name and adds it to the book of the 
law. Josh. 24:26. Later when Samuel had told the people thq 
manner of the kingdom he wrote in the book and laid it u£ 
before the Lord. I Sam. 10:25. When Joash was crowned 
king we find that the testimony was delivered to him, doubtless 
with the addition of the historical and prophetical books, from 
the time of Joshua to David. II King 11:12. The testimony 
which had now been transferred from the tabernacle to the 
temple, here fell into disuse, but later it was discovered by 
Hilkiah and resulted in the revival of Josiah's reign. II Kings 
22:8. To Isaiah the word comes: "Write it before them on a 
tablet, and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to 
come for ever and ever" (Isa. 30:8, R. V.), while in Isa. 34:16 
(R. V.) he adds the remarkably significant words: "Seek ye 
out of the book of the Lord, and read : no one of these shall 
be missing, none shall want her mate : for my mouth it hath 
commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them." No doubt, 
the poetical books were added in Isaiah's time. 

Similar instructions are given to Habakkuk (Hab. 2:2); 
to Ezekiel (Ezek. 43:10, 11); to Daniel (Dan. 7:1). Daniel 
informs us that he understood by the "books" (Dan. 9:2) that 
Jeremiah had foretold that the desolation of Jerusalem was to 
continue for seven years. So we see that Jeremiah had been 
added at this time and was one of the books of the Scriptures. 

After the return from the exile, Ezra and certain of the 
priests and Levites read and explained the books of the law to 
the people (Neh. 8:1-8; 9:1-3). It became imperative now 
that a collection be made of all the inspired writings. This 
appears to have been done during the days of Ezra and Nehe- 



118 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

miah at which time we have the passing of the last of the Old 
Testament prophets with the contribution of their writings. 
That the day of prophetic visions had ceased is evident from 
Zech. 13 :3 : "It shall come to pass, that when any shall yet 

prophesy, his father and his mother shall thrust him 

through." 

According to Jewish tradition the canon was completed by 
a company of scribes known as the "Great Synagogue/' over 
which Ezra himself presided and whose names appear in Neh. 1 
10. It is expressly stated as a historical fact, "that Neherriiah 
founded a library into which he gathered books about the kings 
and prophets and the books of David" (II Maccabees 2:13). 

b. The Apocrypha. If the question be asked as to why 
the Apocrypha has not been included in the canon, the follow- 
ing facts are a sufficient answer : 

(1) The word "apocrypha" signifies that which is hidden 
away, whereas the Bible is a revelation. 

(2) The fourteen books comprising it were not included 
in the Hebrew Bible. 

(3) The Jews have never received them into their canon, 
though they were probably written by Jews. 

(4) Christ and His apostles never quoted them. 

(5) They do not claim divine inspiration while some, at 
least, disclaim it. 

(6) They contain statements contradictory with them- 
selves, with history and with Scripture. 

(7) They are not found in the catalogues of inspired 
books for the first four centuries of the Christian era. 

c. How the books of the Nezv Testament were brought 
together. The Gospels are a record of what Jesus began to do 
and teach. (See Acts 1:1.) As we have seen, each of the 
four evangelists had his own distinct purpose in writing his 
Gospel ; Matthew writing for the Jews, Mark for the Romans, 
Luke for the Greeks, while John, who writes considerably 
later, presents us with a universal Gospel. 

Matthew and John were apostles, hence were divinely 
qualified for their work, according to the promise of Christ; 






THE BIBLE 119 

namely, the Holy Ghost "shall bring to your remembrance 
whatsoever I said unto you" (Jno. 14:26). According to the 
early church fathers Mark was the amenuensis of Peter. 
Papias, one of the earliest writers says, "Mark was the in- 
terpreter of Peter." Irenaeus testifies thus: "Mark was the 
disciple and interpreter of Peter and gave forth to us in 
writing the things which were preached by Peter." Luke was 
the constant and faithful companion of Paul. According to 
Irenaeus, Luke, the companion of Paul, put down in a book 
the Gospel preached by Paul. Tertullian says : "Luke's digest 
was usually ascribed to Paul." There is another point of 
interest regarding Luke's adaptability for his work. Accord-? 
ing to Erasmus, Lightfoot, Trapp, Gill, Urquhart and others, 
the clause in Luke 1 :3 should be translated, "Having had 
perfect understanding of all things from above." "From above" 
is the translation of the Greek word anothen. It is usually 
thus translated elsewhere. See for example, John 3:31; 19:11; 
James 1:17; 3:15, 17; John 3:3 f 7 — margin. Assuming this 
to be the correct rendering Luke would here contrast his 
inspired record with other uninspired accounts of his day. 
The same author wrote also the Acts. Here we have a record 
of what Jesus continued to do and to teach through His 
apostles in the power of the Holy Ghost. 

In the Gospels, as we have seen, we have a record of what 
the Holy Ghost brought to the remembrance of the apostles 
Jno. 14:26; 16:4. In the epistles, on the other hand, we 
have a record of the "many things" that Jesus had not told 
His disciples because as yet they could not bear them but which 
the Holy Ghost would show them (Jno. 16:12-15) after His 
coming as the Spirit of truth. Thus we see that what the 
apostles did and taught after Jesus left them were really but 
the continuance of what Jesus began to do and teach in the 
Gospels. Last of all Paul,* "born out of due time" (I Cor. 
15:8), was chosen by a special act of Providence to be a 



*It should be noticed that while other inspired writers wrote later, 
Paul nevertheless was the last one of the scriptural writers to 
be chosen. 



120 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

chosen vessel to the Gentiles and complete the Word of God. 
Col. 1:25 (Gr.). He repeatedly declares that his Gospel is not 
his own, but that it was given by revelation of Jesus Christ, 
(Gal. 1:12), and that the things he wrote were the command- 
ments of the Lord (I Cor. 14:37). 

We have noticed in connection with the discussion of the 
formation of the books of the Old Testament that Nehemiah 
"founded a library into which he gathered books about the 
kings, the prophets and the books of David." It should be 
distinctly understood, however, that such a collection of books 
does not make them Scripture. They were that already. Let 
us again call to mind Isa. 34:16: "Seek ye out of the book of 
the Lord and read ; no one of these shall fail, none shall want 
her mate : for my mouth it hath commanded, and his Spirit it 
hath gathered them." The Holy Spirit, the Author of the 
books of the Bible, also brought them together. They stand 
and live by their intrinsic worth and innate authority. All this 
applies to the New Testament as well. 

Some have erroneously imagined that the councils of the 
early Church decided the canon of Scripture. Such a conclu- 
sion is entirely unfounded. The early church councils had 
nothing to do with such a sacred task. Dr. George Salmon 
writes: "It is a remarkable fact that we have no early inter- 
ference of Christianity in the making of a canon; no council 
discussed the subject ; no formal decisions were made * * * 
hy their own weight the inspired books crushed out all rivals." 
Even J. Patterson Smyth, who surely cannot be accused of 
ultra conservatism, cites this anonymous quotation : "The Bible 
was formed even as the Church itself was formed, by the 
action of that Holy Spirit which was the life of both." 

2. The Preservation of the Canon. — Space will not 
allow in any sense an exhaustive treatment of this subject. 
Such as desire a full and extensive treatment will find it in 
works specially written for that purpose ; a bare outline must 
suffice here. A few definitions and explanations may be 
necessary before we proceed. 

a. A manuscript is a copy of the Scriptures in the origin- 



THE BIBLE 121 

al tongue. There are two kinds of manuscripts : cursive and 
uncial. The uncial (from inch) are so called because they 
are written in large capital letters. The cursive are written 
in a running hand. 

b. A version is a translation of the Scriptures into 
another tongue. 

c. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, 
the New Testament in Greek. 

d. The Old Testament canon, as we have seen, was 
closed in the time of Ezra, that is, sometime in the fifth 
century, B. C. The New Testament canon was closed about 
the end of the first century of the Christian era. 

Let it be observed, first, that as far as we know all the 
original manuscripts have perished. If it be asked why the 
Lord did not preserve these intact, one answer is that they 
might have been worshiped; another is, they evidently were 
not necessary. The fact is, there is no original copy of any 
ancient work in existence. For example, we have no original 
of Homer, Virgil, Plato, Cicero or any of the ancient classical 
writers. Still we study their works with practically as much 
confidence as if we had the original autograph copies. Why 
do we do this? The answer is because we have sufficient 
evidence that the writings are genuine and authentic. Scholars 
accept these writings with practically the same confidence as 
if they had just left the hands of their respective authors. 
But what is most gratifying to the Bible reader is that there 
is much more evidence in support of the genuineness and 
authenticity of the Bible ttian there is for any other ancient 
work. With how much more confidence then may the Chris- 
tian open his Bible with the assurance that he has here a bookt 
substantially the same in form and containing absolutely the 
same divine message as the early Church possessed. 

Let us now trace the thread of evidence back to the days 
of the apostles, and in the case of the Old Testament, to the 
close of that canon. 

Printed copies. It is an easy matter to trace the Bible? 
record back to the middle of the fifteenth century. At that 



122 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

time printing was invented and it is an interesting fact that 
the Bible was the first book printed. There are still extant 
a few of the original printed copies. Thus we see that printed 
copies of the Bible date back nearly four hundred years. 

Manuscripts. The manuscripts take us back to the middle 
of the fourth century — the cursives to the tenth century, the 
uncials the rest of the way. It should be remembered here 
that a manuscript of the Old Testament is always in Hebrew, 
one of the New Testament, always in Greek. Strange to say, 
the oldest Hebrew manuscript extant belongs to 1106 A. D. 
There are others for which a greater age is claimed but o£ 
this there is no certainty. The most plausible explanation for 
the late date of Hebrew manuscripts seems to be as follows : 

A body of Hebrew scholars known as Masoretes — pre- 
sumably the successors of the scribes of Old Testament times 
— held a most scrupulous vigil of, if not a superstitious regard 
for, the purity of the Old Testament text. They counted the) 
number of verses and marked the middle letter of each book 
and how often each letter occurred. They indicated the 
middle letter of the Pentateuch and the middle clause of each 
book of it. They exercised the most scrupulous care in 
making copies of the Scriptures. A venerable rabbi is said to 
have warned a young scribe thus : "Take heed how thou doest 
thy work, for thy work is the work of heaven, lest thou drop 
or add a letter and so become a destroyer of the world." 
These Jewish critics flourished from the time of the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem till about the ninth century. After having 
taken the utmost pains in gathering and examining manu- 
scripts it is believed they then decided upon a pure text and! 
had all other manuscripts destroyed. 

Of the Greek manuscripts there are now known to exist 
about four thousand. It should be said, however, that most? 
of these are only portions of the Scriptures. As before stated, 
no ancient work of any author can in any way compare with 
the Bible in the matter of genuineness and authenticity. Dr. 
Kenyon of the British museum writes: "Scholars are satisfied 
that they possess substantially the true text of the principal 



THE BIBLE 123 

Greek and Roman writers whose works have come down to us, 
— of Sophocles, Thucydides, of Cicero, and of Virgil. Yet 
our knowledge of their writings depends on a mere handful 
of manuscripts, whereas the manuscripts of the New Testa^ 
ments are counted by hundreds and even thousands. True 
there are the so called variable readings. These however do 
not affect any important historical fact, nor do they involve 
any fundamental doctrine of our faith. Westcott and Hort 
say: "With regard to the great bulk of the New Testament 
there is no variation and therefore no room for textual criti- 
cism. The amount of what can in any sense be called substan- 
tial variation is but a small fraction of the residuary variation 
and can hardly form more than one-thousandth part of the 
entire text.'' 

The three oldest Greek manuscripts are the Vatican, the 
Sinaitic and the Alexandrian. These date from about 350 to 
450 A. D., the Vatican being the oldest. These manuscripts 
are in the custody of the three great representative Christian 
bodies — the Vatican with the Roman Catholics in Rome, the 
Sinaitic with the Greek Church at St. Petersburg, and the 
Alexandrian with the Protestant Church in London. 

One important proof of the purity of the present text is 
the fact that neither of these three oldest manuscripts was 
accessible to the translators of the authorized version, nor to 
Luther. But they were used by the revisers and yet we find 1 
that no important doctrine of the Church has been affected by 
the revision. Again where the revision differs from the 
authorized version, it frequently agrees with Luther's trans- 
lation. 

We have seen that the Greek manuscripts date back to 
about the middle of fourth century. A. D. In the year 312 
A. D. the emperor Diocletian ordered all Bibles to be de- 
stroyed. This no doubt explains why we have no manuscripts 
of an earlier date. In the year 330 A. D. emperor Constan- 
tine ordered fifty carefully prepared copies of the New Testa- 
ment scriptures, one supposed to be the Sinaitic. 

The question now comes, How span the bridge between 



124 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

the earliest "manuscripts and the clays of the apostles. The 
answer is by means of earlier versions, and quotations from 
the early church fathers. The most important early version' 
is that of Jerome, known as the Vulgate. This was a revision 
of a still earlier version, the Itala. Previous to this there was 
an old Latin version current among the Roman churches, also 
a Syriac version known as the Peshita, or plain version, 
among the Greek churches. Both these versions date from the 
second century. Of course, neither of these is extant now 
but they were in use for several centuries, as is evidenced by 
extracts in the ancient Christian writers. 

The testimony of the early church fathers is both interest- 
ing and valuable. More than fifty writers of the first four 
centuries quote from the Bible. Of these, the most important 
are Polycarp, thirty years the contemporary of the apostle 
Paul; Justin Martyr, who wrote about 140 A. D., Irenaeus. 
170 A. D., Clement, 194 A. D., Tertullian and Origen, 200 A.. 
D. Dr. Keith, who has made a record of New Testament 
quotations found in the works of the church fathers, reports 
767 passages quoted by Irenaeus, 389 quoted by Clement, 1802 
by Tertullian, while the works of Origen contain 5765 quota- 
tions from the New Testament, including every book contained 
therein and excluding all the so-called Apocryphal books. 

The learned, conscientious, accurate and painstaking schol- 
ar, S. P. Tregelles, in speaking of Origen says: "In his writ- 
ings he makes such extensive use of the New Testament that 
although a very large number of his works are lost and many 
others have come down to us only in defective Latin versions, 
we can in his extant Greek writings alone (I speak this from 
actual knozvledge and examination) find cited at least two- 
thirds of the New Testament. So that had such a thing been 
permitted as that the Gospels and some of the other books 
being lost, we might restore them in a great measure by mean3 
of the quotations from Origen." 

Another scholar from Scotland, Sir David Dalrymple 
(Lord Hailes), who had in his possession all the patristic 
writings of the first few centuries says : "I have been busy 



THE BIBLE 125 

:for two months searching for chapters and sentences of the 
New Testament and have marked down what I have found 

-and where I found it, so that any person can examine and see 
for himself. I have actually discovered the whole New 
Testament from those writings, except eleven verses, which 
satisfies me that I could discover them also." 

We have now traced the records back to the days of the 
apostles, thus : The printed copies take us back to the fifteenth 

• century ; the manuscripts to the fourth ; the early versions to 
the second, and the quotations from the fathers to the apostles 
themselves. Let us briefly examine the evidence that we have 

■ of the same Old Testament that was in the hands of Christ 
and the apostles, and as it appeared at the close of the canon 
in the days of Ezra. 

We have already noticed the work of the Masoretes. We 
have also made reference to the Syriac and Old Latin versions, 
both of which contain the whole of the Old Testament. 
Jerome's translation likewise included the Old Testament 
Scriptures and these he translated directly from the Hebrew. 
Here again the testimony of the church fathers, chief among 
whom may be named Rufinus, Jerome, Origen, and Melito, is 

•of special interest. In general their testimony is that thex 
name the books of the Bible as we have them, and make 
special mention of the Apocrypha as not of canonical author- 
ity. It should be said that the Old Latin version was not made 
from the original Hebrew, as was the Syriac, but that it was 
a translation of an earlier Greek version known as the Sep- 
tuagint. This version was made about 285 B. C. in Alexandria. 
Another source of evidence are the Targums. These 
were in the form of a running commentary, and were made 
for the Jews after they had been carried into captivity, B. C. 
588. They were in the Chaldee, or eastern Aramaic dialect, 
because the Jews gradually ceased to employ the Hebrew as a 
spoken language, so that there was need of an interpretation. 

"These Targums which were employed up to the time of 
Christ and later, prove that the OH Testament was the same 

^n the time of the apostles as at the close of the Old Testa- 



126 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

ment canon. It is significant that the translation of Jerome 
and that of the Syriac from the Hebrew and of the old Latin 
version from the Septuagint mutually substantiate each other 
and give conclusive testimony and identification of the exist- 
ence of an original pure and single text. Besides the versions- 
mentioned there are many others, but these are sufficient to 
establish the main line of evidence. 

The testimony of Josephus is of special value here. He 
was born in the year 37 A. D. He makes reference to pre- 
cisely the same books as we have in the canon today and 
excludes all others. After alluding to the time of the last of 
the Old Testament prophets he says: "Fact has shown what 
confidence we place in our writings. For although so many ages 
have passed away, no one has dared to add to, nor take any- 
thing from them, nor to make alterations. In all Jews it is- 
implanted, even from their birth, to regard them as being the 
instructions of God, and to abide steadfastly by them, and if 
necessary to die gladly for them." Thus we see that the Jews 
to whom were committed the oracles of God had a most sacred* 
regard for the inviolability of the Scriptures, and preserved' 
them with the utmost care and veneration. 

Finally the frequent use made of the Old Testament in 
the New is decisive testimony to every believer. Jesus quotes 
from it as final authority. He refers to the Scriptures as a 
distinct body of writings familiar to all. He makes the same 
divisions as we find in Josephus and the early fathers ; namely; 
law, prophets, and psalms. See Luke 24:44. When we 
think of the importance Jesus attaches to even the jot or tittle 
we can not help but conclude that the providence of the 
Almighty preserved without error or alterations that law to 
which Jesus refers. And if the Old Testament was thus pre- 
served, which was but a shadow of things to come, what can 
we expect of the watch-care of God over the New Testament 
Scriptures where we have the record of Him who "spake as 
never man spake," and who Himself left us the testimony, 
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not 
pass away." 



THE BIBLE \27 

Let us recall the solemn threefold charge we find in 
Scripture, as to its sacredness and inviolability. In the first 
portion of the Bible the solemn warning of Moses, the meek : 
"Ye shall not add unto the- word which I command you, 
neither shall ye diminish aught from it" (Deut. 4:2). In the 
middle portion of the Bible we have the words of Solomon 

the wise : "Every word of God is pure add thou not 

unto his words" (Prov. 30:5, 6). And finally, at the close the 
words of John the beloved : "If any man shall add unto these 
things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in 
this book : and if any man shall take away from the words of 
the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of 
the book of life" (Rev. 22:18, 19). 

In vain do the shafts of the critics fall upon this "im- 
pregnable Rock." In vain do the sceptics strike their hammers 
upon this eternal Gibraltar, or the Jehoiakims come with their 
pruning knives to cast its fragments into the fire of their own 
kindling. As Dr. John Clifford has expressed it: 

"Last eve I paused before a blacksmith door 
And heard the anvil sing the vesoer chime. 

Then looking in, I saw upon the floor, 

Old hammers worn with beating years of time. 

"'How many anvils have you had?' said I, 
'To wear and batter all those hammers so?' 

'Just one,' he said, then with a twinkling eye. 
'The anvil wears the hammers out you know.' 

"And so I thought the anvil of God's Word 
For ages sceptic blows have beat upon. 

Yet though the noise of falling blows was heard, 
The anvil is unharmed, the hammers gone." 

The written and the living Word are alike divine and 
'eternal. Every knee shall yet bow and every tongue confess 
to the power and the eternity of both. "I find no fault with 
this man," and "Truly, this was the Son of God," are irresist- 
ible conclusions, the enemies of God themselves being witnesses. 
It is but fitting, as it is needful, that every follower of the 
written Word give a similar testimony concerning the Bible. 



128 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

and declare with no uncertain sound : / find no fault with this: 
BOOK, for truly, it is the WORD OF GOD. "For all flesh is 
as grass, and the glory of man as the flower of the grass, the 
grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the* 
word of the Lord shall endure forever. And this is the worck 
which by the Gospel is preached unto you." 



CHAPTER VI 
THE LORD'S DAY 

The sabbath was made for man .... the Son 
of man is Lord also of the sabbath. — Mark 2:27, 28. 

The word "Sabbath" is taken from the Hebrew language 
and means "cessation" or ''rest." 

The principle of a rest day is first introduced in Gen. 2 :2 y 
3 where God set the example of resting after labor and blesses 
and sanctifies the rest period. 

In connection with this subject there have arisen many 
questions w r hich are the cause of endless controversies and 
confusion of many souls. The cause of Christ has suffered, on 
the one hand because of those who have failed to grasp the 
liberty extended in the Gospel and with a veil over the face in 
reading the law of Moses continue to struggle for the perpet- 
uation of the Jewish Sabbath, and on the other by the throngs 
of cold and careless church members who join the world in the 
mad rush for gain and pleasure, trampling under foot the very 
principle itself revealed in the rest and blessing of God and 
its application in the Gospel. 

Need for the Day 

A day of rest for the conservation of human powers and 
the honor and worship of God commends itself to human reason 
as being a moral obligation, and therefore the duty of all men 
even in the absence of a positive commandment. The testimony 
of the ages proves that such a day is indispensable for the 
physical, mental, moral, social, and spiritual wellbeing of man. 
Communities where this day is neglected as a rule, speedily 
japse into impiety and a coarser civilization. We look upon this 
rest day, not merely as an arbitrary command from God but as 



130 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

an evidence of the divine wisdom of God in establishing what 
He knew would be for the highest interests of man. 

The Day in History 

In the Creation. — As stated 'before, the first mention of 
the day is found in Gen. 2 :2, 3 : "And on the seventh day God 
ended his work which he had made ; and he rested on the 
seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God 
blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it : because that in it he 
liad rested from all his work which God created and made." 

From Adam to Moses. — There is no scripture to show 
that the rest day was observed from Adam to Moses. It is the 
testimony of the early church fathers that the patriarchs had 
no sabbath. (See Eccl. Hist, of Eusebius, Book I, Ch. 4.) 
However, whether God's people of the patriarchal age kept a 
'rest day, or how they kept it, does not determine Christian 
duty. God in the various dispensations has given command- 
ments in accordance with the times and conditions under which 
the people lived. The laws of God as given in one dispensation 
need not necessarily be God's will for another. (See Christ's 
instructions in the Sermon on the Mount. — Matt. 5:21-48.) 
The first reference to the rest day, after Genesis, is found in 
Ex. 16:23, a little while before the giving of the law upon Mt. 
Sinai. 

The Jewish Sabbath. — The seventh day was formally 
set apart as the Sabbath on Mount Sinai, where it was given 
from the mouth of God and afterwards written with other 
commandments upon two tables of stone by the finger of God. 
These ten commandments were called "the tables of testimony" 
(Ex. 31:18) because they were to be an enduring witness of 
the covenant between God and Israel throughout that genera- 
tion. 

The ten commandments are not, as some suppose, of 
perpetual obligation. In the Gospel are vices forbidden and 
virtues commanded which are not named in the decalogue. 
When our Savior was questioned as to the greatest command- 



THE LORD'S DAY 131 

ment (Matt. 22:36-40) He did not quote from the decalogue 
but from other parts of the covenant (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18) ; 
not the "thou shalt not's" of the ten words, but the "thou 
shalt love" of a higher law; and declared that "upon these two 
hang all the law and the prophets. This higher law of love to 
God and fellow creatures is the essence of the moral law, was 
the essence of the ten commandments, has always been the duty 
of all people of all ages, and can never cease to be in force. 
The ten commandments as written in the Sinaitic covenant are 
a part of the old covenant given to a certain people coming 
from Egypt and going to Canaan (Ex. 20:2; Deut. 5:6) for a 
limited time ( Jer. 31 :31, 32) and on temporal promises (Ex. 
20:12). The moral precepts found in the law of Moses are 
not binding upon Christians, because the law of Moses is still' 
in authority (for it is not) but because moral principles are 
always binding from their very nature, being an essential 
feature in both the law and the Gospel. Rites and ceremonies 
in the law of Moses are not binding in the new dispensation 
unless expressly incorporated therein. 

We give these facts at this time that the reader may 
understand that our reason for keeping the rest day as we do is 
not because of what is written in the old law but for reasons 
peculiar to the dispensation in which we now live. The Jewish 
Sabbath together with the covenant of which it was a part, 
passed away with the ushering in of the Christian dispensation. 

From the giving of the law on Sinai until the day of; 
Pentecost we read a great deal about the Sabbath — Sabbath 
teaching. Sabbath warnings, Sabbath promises, Sabbath penalties. 
After Pentecost we find no more teachings (for the Jewish 
Sabbath) — no warnings against its neglect nor penalties inflicted 
for its violations. Why? Evidently because the covenant that 
made it obligatory was done away. The moral element in the 
Sabbath which comes from creation and beyond — which always- 
was and always will be duty ; i. e., a portion of time devoted 
to rest and religion — is Christian duty even without a com- 
mandment; but the special form for a certain people in 



132 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

commemoration of deliverance from temporal bondage, as we 
have it in the Jewish covenant, marks it clearly as a national 
ceremony which was not intended to survive the system to 
which it belonged. 

The Christian Sabbath. — When Jesus sent forth His 
-disciples to "preach the Gospel to every creature" He assured 
them that He had all power in heaven and in earth (Matt. 
28:18) ; that "the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath 
day" (Matt. 12:8). In Eph. 2:15 Paul states that the law 
with its commandments and ordinances was abolished by Christ, 
and in Col. 2:13-16, speaking of the same, he goes into details 
.showing that it included their yearly, monthly, and weekly holy 
times and mentions the Sabbath in the very word and very form 
of the word that is used in the fourth commandment as given 
in the decalogue. It is idle to contend that this is not the 
weekly Sabbath of the decalogue. (See Gr. of Col. 2:16 and 
Ex. 20:10; also R. V. Compare the Gr. of Col. 2:16 with 
Ex. 35:3; Lev. 23:38; 24:8; Num. 15:32; 28:29; Deut. 
5:12; Isa. 58:13; Matt. 28:1; Luke 4:16; Acts 13:14.) 
We see clearly from Col. 2:16 that Paul used the very word 
that he could use to designate clearly the weekly Sabbath. 

There is no empty void in the new covenant. The things 
of the old have their counterpart in the new. As the old pass- 
over gives place to the new Lord's supper, so the old Jewish 
Sabbath gives place to the new Lord's day. Rev. 1:10. 

If the Jewish Sabbath has been done away (a fact which 
we have already proven) the objection is likely to rise that 
there is no commandment for any other day. To this objection 
we reply: Even admitting that there is no "thus saith the 
Lord" for the religious observance of the first day of the week, 
there remains the moral obligation, as we have already ob- 
served, for every intelligent creature to devote time to rest and 
religion. 

Jesus told His disciples that He had many things to tell 
them that they could not bear at that time and implied that He 
would tell them later. Acts 1 :2, 3. After His resurrection He 



THE LORD'S DAY 133 

was with His disciples, taught them in reference to the King- 
dom, and gave them commandments. From the fact that the 
first day of the week so clearly and positively became the day 
religiously observed by the Church we conclude that the Lord 
had revealed His will in the matter; else why do we not hear 
some opposition and contention for the old holy day for their 
assemblies and communions? Be that as it may; the fact 
remains we have neither a command nor an example of the 
apostolic Church for seventh day observance but the plain 
naming of it as a thing passed away while for first day 
observance we have the example of Christ and the apostles. 
Paid also exhorts the Church that they should observe not only 
what he writes to them, but also the spoken words, adding 
that they should follow their leaders as ensamples. (See II 
Thess. 2:15; Phil. 3:17). 

In addition to this, we have the united testimony of the 
apostolic fathers in favor of first day observance, and that the 
Jewish Sabbath was done away. 

Observations 

1. The seventh day Sabbath was never given to any other 
people but the Jews. 

2. For aught we know our first day may be the real 
original seventh by God's count, even as Adam and Eve's first 
whole day in Eden was God's seventh. 

3. If God holds some definite 24 hours to be the holy 
time, then if He should reveal to us that it begins here at 
sunset, to keep the same exact time our brethren in India 
would have to begin at sunrise, others at midnight, and still 
others at noon. If all earth's people begin their Sabbath at 
sunset or midnight, then each Sabbath on the earth is 48 hours 
long. 

4. Suppose that there are three brothers who are Sabbath- 
keepers. One travels eastward around the earth, the other 
travels westward around the earth, and one remains at home, 
all working six days from sunset to sunset, and keeping 



134 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Saturdays. It will be found when they come together that they 
are keeping three different days. How shall they now keep 
the law? Two of them evidently have the wrong day, although 
the three began with the same day and kept the Sabbath with 
scrupulous care after each six days of secular toil. 

5. By the law the Sabbath was to be from sunset to 
sunset, and no fire was to be kindled on the Sabbath day. 
How would this apply in the frigid zones, where from sunset 
to sunset is almost a year? 

6. We call attention to these things to show that God in 
His wisdom gave these Sabbath regulations to Israel, to which 
people and country these regulations were adapted. It can be 
clearly seen that the Old Testament Sabbath law is not adapted 
to nor intended for the world-wide Church of Jesus Christ. 

7. In the Lord's day we have all the privileges of the Old 
Sabbath with none of its burdens and bondage. 

Why We Observe the First Day of the Week 
Having noticed the clay in its historical setting, we are 
now ready to answer the question we are so often asked, Why 
observe Sunday instead of Saturday? or, Why keep any day 
as a day of rest and worship? We shall first enumerate a 
number of reasons already given, and then proceed to add new 
ones. 

1. From the example of God in the creation, the fact 
that the rest day has a prominent place in both old and new 
covenants, and especially from the example and teaching of 
Christ and His disciples, it is clear that the principle of 
observing a rest day is a moral obligation binding upon all 
people of the present dispensation. 

2. The Jewish Sabbath, together with the ceremonial 
law of which it was a part, was done away in Christ. In the 
Gospel there is not a breath of a commandment for its 
observance, and not an evidence that it was kept by the 
Christian Church after Pentecost as a Christian institution. 
The Christian Sabbath being a day set apart in a special 



THE LORD'S DAY 135 

manner for the extension of God's kingdom and righteousness, 
very suitably comes first in the week. 

3. The beginning of the material world had a memorial 
day. The beginning of the Jewish nation had a memorial day. 
Why should not the best and greatest dispensation have one ? 
If so, what day should it be? Why on Monday, on Tuesday, 
or Wednesday ? Why on Thursday, when Christ was betrayed ; 
or on Friday, when He died ; or on Saturday, while He was 
held in the embrace of death? How suitable that it should be 
on the resurrection day, when death and hell were overcome 
and Christ was made Lord of all? 

4. Jesus Himself set the example for Sunday as a 
meeting day and a day to expound the Scriptures. He began 
the day by hallowing it with His resurrection. On the 
resurrection day He met with the two who were on their way 
to Emmaus and expounded unto them the Scriptures. That 
same evening He appeared to the other disciples when they 
were assembled, revealed His identity, pronounced the blessing 
of peace upon them, imparted to them the Holy Ghost, and 
gave them superhuman power. Jno. 20:19-23. Thomas, 
however, was absent; but "after eight days" (which by 
common usage meant the eighth, day, the next Sunday) Jesus 
met with them again, when Thomas was present and he was 
at once convinced and acknowledged Him as his Lord and God. 

The meaning of "after eight days" is clear when we 
notice the usage of the times. "In three days" (Matt. 26:61; 
27:40); "the third day" (Matt. 16:21; 20:19); "after three 
days" (Mark 8:31); all meant the same thing — and in the 
same manner "after eight days" meant the same as "the eighth 
day." It was also a common thing in the writings of the 
apostolic fathers to designate the first clay as the eighth day, 
no doubt patterning after the apostle John. Justin Martyn 
(A. D. 140) says: "The first day after the Sabbath, remaining 
the first of all days, is called, however, ^he eiehth, according 
to the number of days of the cycle, and (yeO remains the 
first." (Dialogue with Trypho, Ch. XLI.) Cyprian (A. D. 



136 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

250) says: "The eighth day, that is the first day after the 
Sabbath, and the Lord's day." (Epistle 58, Sec. 4.) 

5. The great meeting on the day of Pentecost, when the 
Holy Ghost was fully given and the thousands were converted 
to Christ, took place on Sunday. This is clearly shown by the 
directions in Lev. 23:15: "unto the morrow after the seventh 
sabbath." 

6. The Church was to have a regular meeting day. Heb. 
10:25; I Cor. 11:20. There is no record that Christians ever 
met on the seventh day for definite Christian service. 

The Syriac Version is generally admitted to be the oldest 
version of the New Testament. Speaking of the communion 
service (I Cor. 11:20, Syriac version) Paul says, "When 
therefore ye come together, ye eat and drink, not as is becom- 
ing on the day of the Lord" — thus lending strength to the 
view that the Lord's day or first day of the week was the 
communion day. 

In Acts 20:6, 7 it is clearly and definitely stated that the 
disciples came together on the first day of the week to break 
bread, and that Paul preached for them on this occasion. 
"Came together" was a common phrase to designate church 
meetings. (See Acts 10:27;- I Cor. 5:4; 14:23, 26; Heb. 
10:25.) Paul had been with them a week (and certainly over 
the seventh c 1 ay), yet there is no account of any communion 
service until the first day of the week. If the seventh day 
was the holy day, why did they wait until the next? 

That Sunday was the communion day is supported by the 
testimony of the ancient writings. The Apostolic Constitution, 
written about 250 A. D., says, "On the Lord's day meet more 
diligently .... (partaking of) the oblation, the sacrifice, the 
gift of the holy food." (Book II, Sec. 7, Par. 55.) Fabian, 
A. D. 250: "On each Lord's day the oblation of the altar 
should be made by all men and women in bread and wine." 
(Decrees of Fabian, Book 5, Ch. 7.) 

7. From the time of Christ's resurrection the first day of 
the week has been the authorized rest day of the Christian 



THE LORD'S DAY 137 

Church. Of this, there can be no reasonable doubt. In J Cor. 
16:1, 2 we learn that the first day of the week was the day 
for assembling the offerings of the Church and suggests it 
therefore as the meeting day of the Church. The object of 
these instructions was that "there be no gatherings (collec- 
tions) when I come.'' Verse 2 seems to show conclusively 
that they were not to lay it by at home but have it together in 
a common treasury. What better time than on this day. In 
this (excepting the day) they followed the custom of the Jews 
who on the Sabbath put aside money for the poor. (See Adam 
Clarke on I Cor. 16:1, 2.) Justin Martyn (A. D. 140) says 
of Sunday: "And on the day called Sunday all who live in 
cities or in the country gather together in one place, and the 
memories of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are 

read bread and wine and water are brought, and the 

president in like manner also offers prayers and thanksgiving, 
according to his ability, and the people assent, saying, 'Amen;' 
and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that 
over which thanks have been given, and to those who are 
absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are 
well-to-do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is 
collected is deposited with the president, who succors the 
orphans and widows." (Apology, Ch. 67.) 

Here is testimony perhaps not over fifty years after the 
death of John the apostle showing what we have found in 
Scripture, that Sunday was the day for religious service, like 
Pentecost ; for communion, as in Acts 20 :6, 7 ; for the giving 
of charities, as in I Cor. 16:1, 2, and that the example was 
first set by the Lord Himself. The apostolic fathers very 
commonly spoke of the resurrection day as "the first day of 
the week," "the eighth day." "Sunday," "the Lord's day," 
after the usage of John the revelator in Rev. 1:10. (See 
Encyclopedia Britannica on "Sunday;" Sozomen, A. D. 440; 
Augustine, A. D. 354; Eusebius, A. D. 324; Peter of 
Alexandria, A. D. 306; Anatolius, A. D. 270; Apostolic 
231: Tertullian, born A. D. 160; Clement of Alexandria, A. 



138 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Constitution, A. D. 250; Cyprian, A. D. 250; Origen, A. D. 
D. 194; Dionysius, A. D. 170; Justin Martyr, A. D. 140, 
born about the time the apostle John died; Epistle of 
Barnabas, A. D. 119-126; Pliny, 104; "Didache," A. D. 90- 
100; John the revelator, A. D. 96.) This long list of writers 
has left testimony that has come down to our times that the 
early Church held the first day of the week in religious 
observance, that it was called "the Lord's day," and entirely 
distinct from the Jewish Sabbath. We would gladly have 
given full quotations from each, but space forbids. They may 
be found collected in Vankirk's "Thirteen Chapters on First 
Day Observance." 

By these testimonies we can see clearly what was the 
practice of the apostolic Church and stop the mouths (Tit. 
1:10, 11) of vain talkers who scatter through the world the 
false statements that the pope changed the Sabbath to the first 
day of the week. By these testimonies it is shown conclusively 
that Sunday was the regular day of worship in the apostolic 
Church, even as we have shown by Scripture that it was so 
held, named, spoken and written about as a common thing 
centuries before there was a pope or a Roman Catholic Church.* 

Counsel for Our Times 

We have now considered this subject from a scriptural 
and historical standpoint. There yet remains the duty of 
considering it from the standpoint of present day observance. 
The day having been set before us, there remains the practical 
question, How, in the light of existing circumstances, shall it 
be kept? 

In this matter we have a plain path of duty, made clear 
by the example of God and the revelation of Scripture. As 
stated before, while the law has been changed' and we are no 



*Let those who wish to pursue the subject farther in greater 
detail consult the book, "Seventh Day Adventism Renounced," 
by D. M. Canright. The work is reliable and unanswerable on 
the Sabbath question. 



THE LORD'S DAY 139 

longer to keep the Jewish Sabbath day which was done away 
in Christ, yet the moral obligation to keep the rest day holy 
unto the Lord is as sacred as it ever was. We think of the 
the Lord's day as 

1. A Day of Rest. — -"And God did rest" — so should 
man. The secular cares of life should be laid aside and the 
day of rest devoted to other purposes. All kinds of business, 
all manual labor of any kind, excepting that which is necessary 
(Be sure that you get the right use of the word "necessary") 
should be dispensed with on the Lord's day. 

2- A Day of Worship. — It s'hould be observed that 
this is a day of rest from secular toil, not a day of rest from 
the service of God. In this the example of the apostolic 
Church is a safe rule to follow. Both morning and evening 
were utilized in divine services and worship. Truly, they were 
about their Father's business. "Rest" means a change, not 
laziness. In this case the change should be from diligent toil 
in secular affairs to diligent exercise in the direct work of 
glorifying God and helping to advance the interests of His 
cause. The admonition, "Not forsaking the assembling of 
yourselves together," is as needful today as it ever was. Nor 
should the worship on this day be confined exclusively to the 
morning and evening service at Church. With the heart filled 
with the spirit of devotion to God, our part in the public 
services is sure to be of the worshipful kind, and the re- 
mainder of the day is sure to be kept in a way that harmonizes 
with it. 

3. A Day of Opportunities. — With business cares and 
secular toil laid aside, there is great opportunity to fill the 
mind with heavenly things and lead the minds of others in 
the same direction. Thus there is before us, each Lord's day, 
the opportunity to do one or more of the following: Pray, 
attend services at the house of the Lord, read the Bible and 
other religious literature, engage in spiritual conversation, 
relieve the sufferings of the afflicted, help some needy soul to a 
higher experience in Christian life, and perform such acts of 



140 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

mercy as may come within our sphere. Are you looking for 
opportunities to do good on the Lord's day? If so, you will 
find plenty to keep you busy, without having to listen to any 
suggestions from the tempter to furnish you something to do 
which is not worthy the child of God. 

4. A Day to be Kept Holy. — What is meant by this 
statement? We keep the day holy, whenever we spend it in a 
way in which we can truthfully say that we are keeping the 
commandment, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or what- 
soever ye do, do all to the glory of God." This throws light 
on such things as sleeping unusually late on Sunday mornings, 
crowding the week's business affairs over into Sunday, reading 
Sunday newspapers, staying at home from church to entertain 
company, fixing up big dinners, pleasure excursions whether on 
railroads, trolley cars, automobiles, or buggies, Sunday after- 
noon parties where the conversation is at least questionable, 
and other forms of desecrating the Lord's day too numerous 
to mention. Apply this test, and you will not go wrong in 
heart, even though a mistaken head may occasionally lead you 
into things that would not bear the test. 

Keep this day in a way in which the above test is complied 
with at all times, and each Lord's day will be to you and to 
others a day of refreshing. 

5. A Day of Preparation. — Every week brings with it 
its share of trials and perplexities. There is nothing that 
helps us to stand the test so much as the spiritual and moral 
refreshing that we get through a hearty observance of the 
Lord's day. Not only does the physical rest which we get 
through laying aside our business cares and toils help us to 
bear our physical and mental burdens during the coming week, 
but the added strength to our moral and spiritual fiber which 
we receive through a proper exercise in religious privilege and 
duties helps us to stand proof against the trials and temptations 
which beset us in natural life. To neglect the opportunities of 
the Lord's day means to make us easy victims to the snares 
and temptations of the business world. As a part of our work 






THE LORD'S DAY 141 

on Saturday should be to prepare for Sunday, so our work 
and experience on Sunday should be such as to prepare 
us to stand for righteousness during the remainder of the 
week. j 

Some Questions Answered \ •! , i * 

1. Hozv zi'ould you answer the man ivho insists that he 
is running his business on Sunday for the good of fellowme.n? 

Money blinds the eye to the true motives. A dollar 
held close to the eye will shut out the sun. How many 
people would conduct their business on Sunday if they knew 
it would mean a money loss to them? Sabbath breaking is a 
great evil. We should not "do evil that good may come." 

2. Can a Christian be consistently employed at a blast 
furnace or mine pump, on an ocean s't earner, or similar work 
[he nature of which definitely requires Sunday labor and 
debars him from the privilege of attending public services on 
the Lord's day? 

Such places should be avoided by Christian people. There 
is plenty of employment for reliable, industrious people with- 
out choosing that which is detrimental to individual spirituality 
and encouraging others who put business and pleasure above 
religion. If all Christian people would consistently avoid all 
work that can not be done to the glory of God, it is remarkable 
how much of this "necessary" Sunday work could be dispensed 
with. 

3. Should Christian zvorkcrs zvhose business makes Sun- 
day the busiest day in the week observe some other day of the 
zveek as a day of rest? 

As a rule the change from week-day duties to Sabbath- 
duties is sufficient rest. People who, like our Savior, are 
fngaged wholly in spiritual work, need special times of 
relaxation ; and in so doing they are simply following His 
example (Mark 6:31), but no double Sabbath is needed. The^ 
amount of time needed for physical and mental recreation 
depends upon the nature of our work and the extent ©£ our 
physical endurance. 



142 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

4. To what extent should children's play be restricted or 
prohibited on the Lord's day? 

There are two extremes to be avoided. Children are 
dedicated neither to gloom nor to fun; but to good cheer, 
from the Gospel standpoint. 

5. Is there not danger that in making Sunday such a 
busy day in 'religious work we defeat the design of God that 
it should be a day of rest? 

There is no danger that Sunday will become too busy a 
day if the work is wholly scriptural and spiritual. Jesus' 
Sabbaths were His busiest days. 

6. Do we not lose valuable time by stopping the wheels 
of progress in the business world every seventh day? 

No doubt ; but this is a case in which you- can not 
measure loss by dollars. The millions of earth are perishing, 
not for want of the extension of our great business enter- 
prises, but for the lack in the extension of the kingdom of 
God. 

7. What arc the greatest dangers confronting us on the 
Sabbath question? 

Idleness, pleasure, business, indifference, and empty re- 
ligious activities. 

8. What difference is there between keeping the Lord's 
day as a holiday and keeping it is a holy day? 

To keep it as a holiday means to keep it for carnality and 
self. Even where the day is kept wholly for rest and recrea- 
tion, without worship or Christian service, the experience is at 
best empty and disappointing. To keep it as a holy day means 
to keep it for spirituality and Christ, and will bear good fruit 
for time and for eternity. 



PART II 
Satan and his Works 



CHAPTERS 

I SATAN Geo. R. Brunk 

II TEMPTATION A. D. Wenger 

III SIN J. S. Hartzler 



SATAN AND HIS WORK 

It is the business of Satan to destroy what God does for 
man. Thus the first reference we have to Satan is the work 
that he did in deceiving our first parents and prevailing upon 
them to forfeit all of God's blessings. It is important that 
we know the character and work of this arch enemy of hu- 
man souls, for since the first temptation in the Garden of 
Eden he has not ceased to beguile the unwary and to lead 
them into sin and ruin and endless death. As we behold his 
work three themes loom up before us — SATAN, TEMPTA- 
TION, SIN ! These three themes are considered in this part 
of our book. A still more horrible picture is to follow as we 
.shall consider, later on, the Lake of Fire, the eternal abode 
of the arch deceiver of man and o-f all whom he through 
temptation lures into sin and who die in their sins. It is not 
a pleasant theme, but the facts brought out in these pages 
are living realities and should not be ignored. It is short- 
sighted policy to shut our eyes to facts which are painful to 
behold. Let us therefore look all things squarely in the face, 
and wherever we see danger, sound the alarm. All that is 
evil in the world may be written in these three words — 
SATAN, TEMPTATION, SIN. 



CHAPTER I 

SATAN 

He 'was a murderer from the beginning, and 
abode not in the truth, because there is no truth 
in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of 
his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. — 
Jno. 8:44. 

Introductory Thoughts 

The word "Satan," in the original, means an adversary, 
an accuser, the hater. 

The word "diabolos," which is translated "devil," means 
accuser, calumniator. 

For evil spirits other than Satan the word "demon" is 
used. This distinction is made throughout the original but is 
not preserved in the King James version. There is therefore 
but one devil, which is Satan, but there are many demons who 
are his subjects. (Compare the authorized and revised ver- 
sions with the original Greek.) 

The origin of evil is a subject over which there has been 
much speculation.- This has resulted in widely different 
theories, ranging from the ridiculous denial of its existence on 
the one hand to the blasphemous ascribing of it to God on the 
other. 

We want to approach and consider this subject with becom- 
ing modesty, recognizing the fact that in spite of the triumphs 
of human reason in matters pertaining to the material world 
there is a realm of spirit mystery as far beyond the unaided 
human mind in height and depth as the wonders of astronomy 
are beyond the groveling mole or as the mysteries of geology 
are beyond the chirping sparrow. In reference to natural truth 
we may by bold investigation and experimentation go forth and 
discover, returning richly laden with the spoils of knowledge ; 



146 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

but in spirit mysteries we must take a humbler place, folding 
our hands as it were, and with our faces upturned toward 
heaven content ourselves with what God in His wisdom sees 
fit to reveal through His holy Word. Neglecting this, we can 
but wander on in doubt and error until the end of life. 

There seems to be a growing tendency to rid the world of 
both devil and God, and by a cunning manipulation of Scrip- 
ture change "the truth of God into a lie." "Good is God," say 
they, "and evil is the only devil." Thus both fear and rever- 
ence diminish, and iniquity abounds. So blinded has the world 
become that the world's greatest peril has become the subject 
of continuous jest, even flaunting their wickedness into the 
faces of the pious by using representations of the devil as a 
trade mark upon common articles of merchandise. 

It has been held that the doctrine of a personal devil was 
evolved from the mind of man, as many heathen legends have 
been, from the fact that it is so gradually unfolded in Scrip- 
ture — being veiled under the form of a serpent in Genesis, 
touched but sparingly in the middle periods, and brought out 
very clearly and definitely in the New Testament. This theory 
is but thinly veiled infidelity that rejects the teaching of Christ. 
It would rob us of the Bible, gives no solution either of the 
origin of evil or its cure, and could by the same class of argu- 
ments rob us of the Deity Himself, at one stroke making the 
whole world orphans holding out their hands to eternal empti-- 
ness. As God does not banish night by suddenly precipitating 
upon us the full strength of the meridian sun to blind and to 
bewilder, but gives us first a flush of light, a crimson sky, a 
veiled sun and by and by the perfect light of noon ; so also 
has it pleased Him to reveal gradually to man the great truths 
that "pertain to life and godliness," whether it be the existence 
and work of Satan, the immortality of the soul, the resurrec- 
tion of the dead, the coming of the Savior, or the eternal 
destiny of man. 

It is but reasonable to believe that heathen legends of 
unseen evil intelligences are but corruptions of clearer truth 



SATAN 147 

committed to their ancestors in ages past — like the story of 
the flood, which in some perverted form is held by almost 
every heathen nation. 

Rejecting every human theory that militates against the 
Word of God, from the ancient heathen doctrine of "malignity 
of matter" to the modern error that the devil is simply terror 
personified, with the side lights of reason and experience, we 
take up "the sure word of prophecy" which is as "a light that 
shineth in a dark place," saying: "To the law and to the 
testimony : if they speak not according to this word, it is 
because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20). 

The Bible gives us all the necessary truth, but does not 
minister to idle curiosity. We may therefore expect that in 
the consideration of this subject difficult questions will arise 
to which we may find no answer and which by blind unbelief 
will be taken as an occasion to sneer; but light enough will be 
found for faith to walk in, for hope to stand upon, and 
humility will bow down upon her face and await the time when 
"we shall know as we are known." 

His Personality 

The personality of the devil is set forth in Scripture in as 
clear a light as is that of God Himself. 

As "the prince of this world" (Jno. 14:30) he exercises 
dominion. He disputed with an angel (Jude 8, 9) reasoned 
with Christ (Matt. 4:1-11), pretended to give Eve greater 
light (Gen. 3:1-5), talked with God concerning Job (Job 
1:6-11), transforms himself into an angel of light that he may 
cause men to fall (II Cor. 11:14, 15); his coming, going, and 
working are set forth as real and as strong as those of the 
holy angels (Matt. 4:11; Zech. 3:1, 3; Jude 8, 9); he is 
proud (I Tim. 3:6), malignant (Job 1:9; 2:4), a liar and a 
murderer (Jno. 8:44), will be punished (Matt. 25:41), and is 
conscious of his doom (Rev. 12:12; Matt. 8:28, 29). If such 
scriptures do not prove his personality there is no meaning in 
words. 



148 BIBLE DOCTRINE 



The Author of Evil 



Because of such scriptures as — "Shall there be evil in a 
city, and the Lord hath not done it" (Amos 3 :6) ? "I make : 
peace, and create evil" (Isa. 45:7), etc., it has been held that 
God is the author of moral evil. The word evil, as used in 
Scripiure, sometimes means wickedness and sometimes punish- 
ment or calamity. "Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul 
of man that doeth evil (wickedness), of the Jew first, and also- 
of the Gentile ; but glory, honor, and peace, to every man that 
worketh good" (Rom. 2:9, 10). ''Thus saith the Lord of 
hosts, the God of Israel; behold, I will bring evil (punish- 
ment) upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears- 
shall tingle" (Jer. 19:3). Thus we see that God is the author 
of the evil that befalls the wicked in the sense of punishment, 
but He is not the author of the moral evil or sin which brings 
that punishment justly upon them. 

God is perfectly holy (Isa. 5:16), can not sin or cause 
others to become sinners (Rom. 1:23; Jas. 1:13), created alt 
things very good (Gen. 1:31), can not "do evil that good may 
come" (Rom. 3:8). The Bible nowhere teaches that God is 
the author of moral evil. But it does teach that Satan is the 
ruthor of evil. "When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his 
own : for he is a liar, and the father of it." From the time 
that Satan first beguiled Eve and caused her to sin, the awful 
blight of sin and death has held sway in the hearts of men and 
the once lovely paradise of God is justly described a "wilder- 
ness of woe." Since "the angels which kept not their first 
estate" (Jude 6) were cast "down to hell" (II Pet. 2:4), we 
infer that as man was created pure and holy and by transgres- 
sion became a sinner, so angels were created sinless and by 
transgression were changed into demons. 

Because God is just He could not consistently be the 
author of moral evil, which the Bible plainly and emphatically 
teaches that He will terribly punish. 

Because man fell through the deceptions of Satan it seems 
to be taken for granted that he could not have fallen without 



SATAN 149 

a tempter. But this is not necessarily correct. The Bible 
teaches the possibility of self-deception as clearly as being 
deceived by others. Jas. 1:22. Freedom of the will, limited 
knowledge, limited experience, and inferior position with active 
mind would seem to make the fall of angels or men possible 
through self-deception without being solicited to evil by outside 
influence. 

It is impossible for us to know the process by which a 
holy angel became a malicious devil, or what was his first sin. 
Had God seen it wise for us to know, He would have undoubt- 
edly revealed it to us. But from the fact that he stirred up 
Eve to aspire to be a god and asked the Savior to worship him, 
and that he causes the man of sin to set himself up in the 
place of God, it seems most likely that pride manifesting itself 
in becoming the rival of God instead of His servant was the 
first sin. This idea seems to be supported by the words of 
Paul to Timothy : "Lest being lifted up with pride he fall 
into the condemnation of the devil" (I Tim. 3:6). 

God has been charged with the authorship of evil because 
He made evil possible. To this we answer that if God had not 
given free will to intelligent creatures there could have been 
no merit in men nor angels and therefore no reward. Merit 
and reward could not be possible without making evil and 
punishment possible. Had God made sin unavoidable (which 
He did not) then the charge would be unanswerable. As it is, 
God has not only made it possible for people to^ avoid sin and 
its consequences, but gives them every possible encouragement 
and enlightenment to do so. 

Dumb, unreasoning brutes that follow blind instinct from 
necessity earn no reward. 

Balaam, whom God compelled for the people's good to do 
right, was not himself benefited thereby or made better. 

If God would compel men and angels to do right it would 
be His act, not theirs, and it would therefore not # be reward- 
able in them. 

"If I do this willingly, I have a reward" (I Cor. 9:17). 



150 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

God may, and does, force the understanding, the memory, 
and other faculties of the mind, but He does not force the 
will. God says: "If any man will do His will . ..." (Jno. 7: 
17). "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear 
my voice ...." (Rev. 3:20). "How often would I .... but 
ye would not" (Matt. 23:37). "Turn ye, turn ye .... why 
will ye die" (Ezek. 33:11)! "God hath not appointed us to 
wrath, but to obtain salvation" (I Thes. 5:9). It is not His 
will "that any should perish, but ... ." (II Pet. 3:9). 

If a forced righteousness could have glorified God and 
made His creatures happiest, no doubt God would have chosen 
it for men and angels. The fact that He did not so choose 
should be considered evidence that He chose a better way, and 
that the freedom of the will is absolutely essential to acceptable 
service to God and to a meritorious righteousness which can 
be rewarded. 

God is the author and preserver of all good; Satan is the 
author and fomentor of all evil. 

His Power and Influence 

When we look at the accomplishments of world famous 
leaders (as, for instance, Napoleon, who rose from obscurity 
and influenced multitudes to follow him into the very jaws of 
death, and with the wave of his sword he assembled armies, 
overthrew thrones, and held the destiny of millions at his 
command) we marvel; but a greater than Napoleon is here. 
Angels are greater in power and might than men. Satan rules 
not only the bodies of men but their souls — not only in this 
world, but in the world to come ; not only men, but angels ; 
not only for # a few years, but for the countless ages of 
eternity; not only maiming the lives of millions, but destroying 
the immortal souls of countless multitudes. 

He is the ruler of the darkness of this world. Eph. 6:11, 
12. All outside the Gospel are in his power. Eph. 2:2; I 
Jno. 5:19. He is supported by the hosts of fallen angels, who 
together with himself, will be finally cast into the lake of fire. 



SATAN 151 

As the prince of this world and "the power of the air"' he 
dw r ells upon the earth deceiving fhe world (Job 1:6 cf Rev. 
12:9) and spiritual hosts of wickedness are in heavenly places. 
Eph. 6:12. He puts evil suggestions into the minds of 
believers (Jno. 13:2; Acts 5:3; II Cor. 12:7), sows evil 
influences (Matt. 13:39), and hinders the work of the children 
of God. I Thes. 2:18. Transforming himself into an angel of 
light (II Cor. 11:14), he exercises his power in "lying won- 
ders," deceiving the lost, resisting angels of God (Zech. 3:1; 
Dan. 10:13), sowing tares, and transforming his servants into 
apparent ministers of righteousness. Having miraculous pow- 
ers, his works are often ascribed to God. Satan being more 
powerful than human beings, man can not without the mighty 
power of God, deliver himself out of his hands. 

This is the being, whose great and terrible power has 
been likened to that of a roaring lion, whose subtlety has been 
likened to that of a serpent, whose bewitching power comes 
through his transforming himself into an angel of light, and 
whose treacher) enables him to impress his attractive person- 
ality upon men while they imagine that he can appear only as 
a hideous monster, whose work has changed a paradise of God 
into a vast field of depravity and wretchedness and has 
debauched unnumbered millions of blinded victims whose moans 
and groans and wails and fearful curses will re-echo forever 
throughout the vaults and caverns of hell ! 

His Unfathomable Enmity 

There is a degree of light and glory attainable by God's 
creatures which, if sinned against, precludes the possibility of 
redemption. Matt. 12:31, 32; Heb. 10:26, 27. The utter 
silence of Scripture on the redemption of fallen angels, to- 
gether with the apparent certainty of their doom and their un- 
changeable enmity against God and good, supports the belief 
that their sin was not weakness but unforgivable presumption. 

When we consider the character of men we hardly find 
one so depraved but that there is some remnant of virtue 
remaining in him; but in the whole range of Scripture that 



152 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

bears upon the character of Satan we find not one redeeming 
feature about him. When Jesus delivered a poor unfortunate 
from the power of a demon that possessed him, the demon 
threw him down and seemed to do all in his power to destroy 
him before he relinquished his claim. This seems to be the 
devil's policy with reference to the world — he is bent on doing 
all the damage he can before being compelled to depart to the 
unblest region to which he is doomed. 

Having organized his fallen associates into a kingdom 
dedicated to evil the leading features of which seem to be 
falsehood, malice, and destruction, he approached unsoiled 
Eden, gained the ear of his unsuspecting victim, and corrupted 
the fountain of the human race. Thus at one single stroke he 
robs heaven of unnumbered millions and gluts hell with wail- 
ing multitudes. It was there that he kindled the fire of sin 
that has burned on down through the ages, leaving behind a 
moral waste, a desert of smoking ruins. 

Not content with sin's harvest of four thousand years, be 
boldly advanced upon the Son of God who came to open a 
way of escape for the bonded millions, if possible to accomp- 
lish His ruin and leave the whole world powerless in his hands. 

Failing in this he is now at work, by every device conceiv- 
able, by his degenerate wisdom to nullify the work of Christ 
in behalf of the world and to hold them captive still. He 
roars like a lion to frighten the timid. With his dazzling 
hypocrisy and lying wonders he blinds the foolish Samsons 
that sleep with their heads in the lap of the world. He 
catches away from the memory the words of truth, "lest they 
should believe and be saved." He seems to be the fountain of 
every vice heated white hot by unquenchable hate, stirred up 
to the most intense and ceaseless activity to undermine the 
throne of God and to damn the whole world to eternal 
wretchedness and oblivion. 

His Devices 
Having considered the character and power of Satan, let 
us further consider his works among the children of men. The 



SATAN 153 

Bible warns us against "the snare of the devil." The apostle 
recognized the importance of this warning, and was the more 
successful in leading the overcoming life in that he was able 
to say with truth, "We are not ignorant of his devices." We 
do well to open our eyes to facts, "watch and pray," learn 
what we can about the character and work of the enemy, keep 
out of the clutches of his power and cling to the power of 
Him who is able to deliver us from the power of every foe. 
Following are among the leading devices by which Satan blinds, 
entraps, corrupts, paralyzes, and destroys the world: 

1. Fall of Man. — He sought to destroy the whole 
human family by corrupting the head — Adam and Eve. As a 
result man has not only temptation from without but also 
corruption from within to overcome, and Satan's fight is 
comparatively easier. 

2. Temptation of Christ. — Having caused the fall of 
man, Satan attempted to draw the Savior into the same unholy 
alliance, thus forever preventing man's redemption. In this he 
failed ; and in Christ's victory over Satan we have an example 
which all men may follow. Jas. 4:7. 

3. Blindness. — He blinds the eyes of his victims. II 
Cor. 4:3, 4. The light of the glorious Gospel being hid from 
their eyes and knowing only the alluring and deceitful things 
of time and sense, they walk on in blindness and end in 
destruction. 

4. Unbelief. — He is very successful in sowing the seeds 
of unbelief. He catches a few in the trap, "There is no God." 
As an angel of light he does with many today what he did 
with Eve — causes them to disbelieve and to disobey God's 
Word by showing them "something better." Thus they 
abandon the doctrine of the blood atonement, deny the 
inspiration of Scripture (in whole or in part), ridicule the 
idea of the Deity of Christ, and at last they enter not the 
pearly gates because of unbelief. Heb. 4 :2, 6 ; Rev. 21 :8. 

5. "Lying Wonders." — He confuses the human mind, 
and seeks to undermine the Christian faith, with "lying 



154 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

wonders." One of Satan's successful devices is to set himself 
up as God. The miracles of Moses might have had a salutary 
effect upon the Egyptians had not the magicians also per- 
formed wonders to counteract this influence. Paul assures us 
that "the man of sin" that will appear at last will set himself 
up as God and perform wonders that will deceive those who do 
not love the truth. Simon; the .sorcerer, through the power of 
Satan, held the people of Samaria in error, supposing that he 
got his power from God. In Revelation it is declared that the 
spirit of devils will work miracles and even cause an image to 
live and cause the whole world to wander after the beast. 

It seems that there is nothing that so quickly turns the 
hearts of the people away from the truth of God's Word as 
the. lying wonders performed by the servants of Satan. 
Emmanuel Swedenborg brought to light a new system of 
religion and founded a new church. The secret of his power 
over the minds of men, next to the direct influence of Satan, 
is the wonder of his spirit communications and apparent 
sincerity. Alexander Dowie, Mary G. Baker Eddy, and C. T. 
Russell are other examples of extraordinary accomplishment 
in the field of religion that have no support by Scriptures but 
show themselves to be actuated by more than human energy. 

In the Old Testament God forewarned the people that 
advocates of false religion would come and perform wonders 
and fortell events, and admonished them not to follow after 
them. So in the New Testament Jesus warns against false 
prophets that will do wonders and deceive, if possible, the very 
elect. 

It can not be too strongly stated that superhuman works 
and wonders do not prove a religion to be from God, for the 
devil can perform lying wonders in all deceivableness and 
unrighteousness. II Thes. 2:9, 10. 

6. Hypnotic Power. — He exercises a hypnotic power 
over sinful man. Man in his normal state can not be com- 
pelled by Satan to sin, but by cunning craftiness he deceives 
and leads the mind of man to choose that which is evil. 



SATAN 155 

In hypnotism we see the power which one mind has over 
another that is yielded to its influence ; how that the resisting 
mind can not be controlled, but the pliable one gradually comes 
under the power of the operator until at last its own power of 
volition is lost and regardless of former standards of right it 
carries out the will of the hypnotist. If this is not the same 
law by which Satan controls the minds of his victims it is at 
least a good illustration of it. Satan can not control the mind 
that resists him with the power and Word of God. Jas. 4:7. 
But his influence over the one who does not resist, though at 
first it may be imperceptible, gradually strengthens and extends 
as resistance wanes, until finally he gets full control and the 
victim is only a tool in his hands to carry out his will. Only 
the power of God can break the influence and power of Satan 
over his victims. 

7. False Christs. — Another device of Satan is the false 
christs that rise up from time to time to draw people after 
them. False christs and prophets have more followers in the 
world today than all the real followers of Christ combined. 

8. Religious Wars. — Another" harmful device of Satan 
is to cause Christian leaders to quibble over differences while 
he drives the sheep away. Through this means churches have 
been torn asunder into factions, one or both sides drawn into 
error, malice, bitterness, and destruction, and by their examples 
they drove away and disgusted outsiders who remained 
impenitent and become more and more hardened in sin. 

9. Perverting the Truth. — By exaggerating truth and 
magnifying God's eternal justice in the terrible punishment of 
sin in hell into apparent injustice, Satan drives some people 
away from God, and in other ways causes them either to 
reject the Scriptures or to twist them into error. In this way 
many have been led to disobey God's commandments, thus 
forfeiting His favor and falling under His hot displeasure. 
Through this means men have been led to substitute formalism 
for conversion, emotionalism for obedience to the Gospel, 
intellectuality for spirituality, reformation for regeneration, 



156 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

self abasement for humility, pride for Christian exaltation, 
polish for godliness. 

10. Heresies. — Perhaps the most far-reaching device 
among all classes of religious people is to ascribe to the Holy 
Spirit the thoughts and deeds of men that proceed either from 
Satan or from the human mind itself. 

His Limitations and Destiny 

While the power of Satan is great he is neither all wise, 
all powerful, nor everywhere present. These qualities belong 
tc God only. As we contemplate this arch enemy of all that 
is good and meditate upon his terrible power and frightful 
havoc wrought among human souls, we turn to God with 
thankful hearts that there is a limit to the power of Satan and 
that the only power that is absolute and infinite is vested in 
the Friend from heaven. Satan has his limitations, as is 
evident from the following: 

1. He could not withstand Christ. Christ overcame him 
in life (Matt. 4:1-11) and the devil was compelled to leave 
Him while angels ministered unto Him. Christ, through His 
c.eath, brought to nought the works of the devil. Heb. 2:14. 

2. He can not zvithstand the Christian. "Resist the devil, 
and he will flee from you." Though often beset with trials 
and temptations which cause him to go about his work "with 
fear and trembling," the Christian has absolute assurance of 
victory. God has given him an armor by which he is able to 
"quench all the fiery darts of the wicked" and to "stand 
against the wiles of the devil." "The gates of hell" can not 
prevail against him who plants his feet upon the solid Rock. 

3. His field of labor is limited. He had to get the 
permission of God to try the faithfulness of Job. He had to 
ask permission to enter the swine. Matt. 8:30-32. As already 
noted, his power is limited so far as the Christian is concerned. 
Jno. 12:31. Save in cases of trials which help to strengthen 
the believer, God does not permit Satan to touch His people. 



SATAN 157 

Backsliders become so, not because they were overcome in 
spite of themselves, but because they let go the power of God 
and gave their consent that Satan might lead them. Satan 
works only where God permits him to work. 

4. He is under a perpetual curse. From Gen. 3:14 to 
Rev. 20:10, the Bible has numerous references telling of the 
awful curse under which this frightful fiend and enemy of 
souls has been placed. All his demonic powers can not avail 
in lifting this curse. The Bible records not one single case 
where any happiness and glory is attributed to Satan, the 
imagination of men to the contrary notwithstanding. He is 
the personification of all that is vile and wretched and 
abominable, and he is powerless to lift the irrevocable curse 
which in justice was placed upon him. 

5. He will be tormented day and night forever in the 
lake of fire. Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10. He will be as power- 
less in eternity as he is in time to lift this curse. His doom 
is sealed. His power is limited. God has provided a means 

•of deliverance from the clutches of his power, made it possible 
for all men to keep outside the realms of his dominions, and 
warned all men against sharing his eternal destiny. 



CHAPTER II 
TEMPTATION 

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am 
tempted of God: for God can not be tempted of 
evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man 
is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own 
lust, and enticed. — Jas. 1:13, 14. 

God did tempt Abraham. — 'Gen. 22:1. 

These two scriptures do not conflict. The subject con- 
sidered by James is temptation "with evil," which work belongs 
to Satan alone. God's dealing with all for whom the devil is 
striving is for their good. The idea that "God did prove 
Abraham" (R. V.) is fully borne out by Heb. 11:17: "By 
faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac." God 
does not tempt, prove, try, or test us to find out what we are, 
for He knows that already; but by these means He exercises 
and strengthens our Christian graces. 

"Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God" (Deut. 6:16). 
This command was frequently disobeyed by Israel in the 
wilderness. After many miracles before their eyes "they 
tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or not" (Ex. 
17:7). Sin is a temptation to the Lord, not to indulge in, for 
He hates sin, but to punish or to withdraw His help from the 
ungrateful and unbelieving offenders, which punishment they 
justly deserve. "Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them 
also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents" (I Cor. 10:9). 
By needlessly exposing ourselves to danger, physically and 
spiritually, we may also tempt Him. Matt. 4:6, 7; Mai. 3:15. 

Origin of Temptation 
Temptation to do wrong originates from the devil, who is 



TEMPTATION 159 

known as the "tempter" and by many other names. It is the 
act of Satan creating a feeling for something evil. The 
thought or intent of the betrayal was first put into "the heart 
of Judas" (Jno. 13:2). We can know T and feel the condition 
or state of the heart better than we can tell others. It is 
mentioned hundreds of times in Scripture, and is the source of 
understanding, love, joy, sorrow, courage, pleasure, faith, etc. 
In ancient times "heart" often meant mind. Its meaning has 
been narrowed down to emotional powers and sometimes 
affections only. The heart has a thousand strings. Satan pulls 
at them all. 

At first there was only one way to sin, for only one thing 
was forbidden. Since the fall of man there are many ways. 
Numerous feelings and emotions often arise through body and 
mind for forbidden things. The senses of sight, hearing, 
taste, smell and touch ; the appetites of hunger, thirst, sleepi- 
ness, restiveness, and sexuality; the powers of the mind to 
know, to feel, and to will; all these God has wisely bestowed 
for noble purposes. They combine to serve the welfare of the 
body, mind, and soul. Satan seeks their service. He works 
with the power of love, hate, hope, fear, trust, sympathy, 
admiration, reverence, mercy, humor, honor, shame, courage, 
joy, contentment, intention, disposition, humility, patience, 
satisfaction, imagination, attention, reason, judgment, etc. — a 
wide range of attack which the enemy has upon us. 

Power of the Tempter. — The tempter knows our various 
tastes and dispositions far better than we do, and is familiar 
with all the powers and weaknesses of our being. He follows 
the deepest scientific researches and is ready to use at once the 
latest discoveries to further his evil designs. He "hath blinded 
the eyes of them that believe not" (II Cor. 4:4). Being "the 
god of this world," he has moved the nations to organize and 
maintain large armies and navies and dash multitudes into 
perdition. He is in league with all his angels and demons to 
capture the human family. A powerful enemy, even Michael, 
the archangel, "durst not bring against him a railing accusa- 



160 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

tion," but asked the Lord to rebuke him. Jude 9.* God alone 
has more power, knowledge, and wide-spread presence. "Go- 
ing to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it" 
(Job 1:7), he came to try Job. Sometimes he comes as "a 
roaring lion," and we know that danger is near. At other 
times he appears as "an angel of light," and man is caught 
unawares. As the "prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2:2) 
his authority extends from the heights attained by the highest 
aeroplane to the lowest depths of the deepest mine, but his 
reign is usually in the air from one to six feet above earth, 
where the great mass of human beings live. 

"My soul, be on thy guard, 

Ten thousand foes arise; 
The hosts of sin are pressing hard 

To draw thee from the skies." 

Many temptations bring a heavy heart. Many a soul 
seems to say, "I am tempted and tried on every side. Only 
God knows what a struggle I have. I do not see how I could 
stand any more. So near have I been to the yielding point 
that I do not wonder that others have fallen with the sin that 
would most easily beset me. Lord, deliver me. Lead me not 
again into temptations so manifold." Man unaided is absolute- 
ly unable to withstand the power of the tempter, but deliver- 
ance is sure to come in answer to sincere and earnest prayer, 

Jesus the Deliverer 
"Suffer us not to be led into temptation," is not Scripture. 
God, not Satan, is our Leader. Sometimes He leads where 



*We are not to understand from this reference that Satan is such a 
powerful antagonist that Michael was afraid of him. If Paul, 
backed by the power of heaven, could say, "I can do all things 
through Christ," certainly the archangel, wholly in the poweiT 
of God, had nothing to fear from all evil forces combined.. 
But two thoughts are vividly impressed by this reference: 
(1) Neither men nor angels are able in their own strength to 
overcome the tempter; God alone has the power, which power 
we may freelv draw upon if we will. (2) It is vain to resist 
the tempter or the forces of evil through carnal strife — a 
simple submission to God and His Word and a staying by the 
Word in testimony and in life will make us invincible before- 
the power of the evil one. 



TEMPTATION 161 

many darts come from the evil one, but we can always endure 
them if we cling to the hand of the Lord. I Cor. 10:13; Jno. 
10:28. What Satan means for our harm is overruled for our 
good. The dark clouds fly away and the light of increased joy, 
faith, and patience fills our souls. It is after these tests that 
we receive the crown of life. Jas. 1 :2, 3, 12. 

Christ's Example and Work. — Was Jesus actually 
tempted? Did He feel drawn toward the objects held out to 
Him by Satan? He became flesh, and dwelt among men. He 
was the son of David, and "a man of sorrows, and acquainted 
with grief." "We have not an high priest which can not be 
touched with the feeling of our infirmities ; but was in all 
points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15). 
He was both the Son of God and the Son of man. To His 
humanity these temptations came really and truly, for He was 
tempted like ourselves in all points. He experienced the 
temptations ''common to man" and even greater ones, for He 
was tempted to perform miracles to show that He was the) 
Son of God. When hungry from a forty days' fast and still 
in the wilderness and far from food, He was tempted to make 
and eat the bread which Satan desired Him to eat. When in 
solitude and obscurity to the world He was tempted with the 
popularity and power of the mighty kingship of the entire 
world. Had He advertised a leap from the loity pinnacle of 
the temple a mighty throng of curious spectators would , have 
doubtless gathered to honor Him as He landed unhurt. To 
Satan He would not yield. He drew the mighty "sword of 
the Spirit" upon Satan three times, and "he departed from 
Him for a season," as he does from all who use the Word of 
God as their defense. In the evening of His earthly careen 
Christ said to His disciples, "Ye are they which have continued 
with me in my temptations" (Luke 22:28). He traveled the 
way before us, and vanquished the foe at every turn. He 
knows that Satan will assail us at every opportunity, so His 
promise is to be with us "even unto the end of the world." 
"For in that he himself -hath suffered being tempted, he is 
able to succor them that are tempted" (Heb. 2:18). 



162 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Burden for the Welfare of Others. — We have been the 
means in God's hands of leading others to Christ, have given 
them instructions looking to growth in Christian attainments, 
and warned them against the wiles of the devil. Knowing 
the many snares and pitfalls of the present time, we are 
anxious that they do not "in the time of temptation fall away." 
When opportunity affords we make inquiry as to their standing. 
Even greater was Paul's concern for the Christians at Thessa- 
lonica. "For this cause," says he, "when I could no longer 
forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the 
tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain. But 
now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us 
good tidings of your faith and charity we were com- 
forted." How comforting such tidings of sons and daughters 
far away — but how unspeakably sad the news if they have 
made shipwreck of faith ! Often before our eyes the enemy 
snatches lambs from the flock. On the King's highway of 
holiness it is always safe, but a devouring lion waits at the 
side to destroy those who stray from the path of duty. 

Strength in Trial. — The more able we are to bear 
temptations the stronger they are allowed to come upon us. 
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers 
temptations; knowing this, that the trial of your faith worketh 
patience" ( Jas' 1 :2, 3). The "fiery trial" (I Pet. 4:12) serves 
to refine, to purify, to strengthen us for the service. "Blessed 
is the man that cndureth temptation: for when he is tried, he 
shall receive the crown of life" (Jas. 1:12). The more 
righteous the man the stronger the antagonism of Satan, for 
he hates righteousness. The faithful martyr whose blood was 
"the seed of the Church" suffered temptations to forsake the 
Lord — a temptation as great, perhaps, as it is possible for us 
to suffer. All the powers of earth and hell combined can not 
draw us away if we hold on to Christ. 

The Tempter's Avenues to the Soul 

The Appetite. — The mind hears the bodily cry of 
hunger, its call for food to repair its wasted tissues. The 



TEMPTATION 163 

nerves are the wires that carry the news of the suffering body 
to the mind which is reached through the brain. How the 
bridge is crossed from material brain to immaterial mind no 
one knows but God. The mind also feels the desire to satisfy 
the appetite and we hail the dining hour with delight. What 
a blessing our food is, and how we enjoy it daily! It stops 
hunger, nourishes the body, maintains life, and tastes good. 
When you realize that you have enough, stop. To eat more 
would be intemperance and gluttony. God's laws would be 
transgressed thereby and we would suffer bodily and spiritually. 
With the good things God has given us we would bring a curse 
upon ourselves by yielding to excess. It is through this very 
temptation that Satan has led many people into "lasciviousnessi 
lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable 
idolatries." "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatso- 
ever you do, do all to the glory of God." 

Appetite for cocaine, opium, alcohol, and tobacco is a 
perverted appetite. It is not natural, for the first indulgence 
in these things sickens the body. Habitual gratification creates 
an abnormal craving for their use. The organism becomes 
diseased, and the cravings grow into agonies. The strongest 
wills give way before the onslaughts of these temptations, and 
in their own strength they fail to resist the evils which they 
see drawing them into degradation and ruin. Thousands of 
men will spend their last dime for strong drink when wife and 
children are ragged and cold and hungry. God has warned us 
against this terrible temptation. "Look not thou upon the 
wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when 
it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, 
and stingeth like an adder" (Prov. 23:31, 32). "Wine is a 
mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived 
thereby is not wise" (Prov. 20:21). Many a young man has 
accepted the invitation of his comrades and was treated to his 
first drink. Results : a blasted life and a drunkard's doom. 
"Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy 
bottle to him, and makest him drunken also" (Hab. 2:15). 

Some whom the tempter holds in the terrible grip of a 



164 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

perverted appetite say, "I cannot quit." But we know that the 
penitent soul may, by the help and power of God, be liberated 
entirely from this strong chain of the enemy. The habits can 
be given up by the grace of God, and all desire to indulgd 
again in the use of these stimulants and narcotics be taken 
away entirely, for these appetites are unnatural. If we rely 
upon Him He will help liberate us from these abnormal 
cravings and give us power to control the God-given appetite. 

The Eye. — To behold the sunshine and the rain, to 
guide our feet in walking and our hands in working, to gaze 
upon the wonders of nature in the earth beneath and the 
heavens above, to see our fellow beings and to read the Book 
of Truth, these are some of the valuable uses of the eye. We 
ought to be so thankful for sight that we would never use it 
against Him who gave it. But Satan demands its service. 
Through that window of the soul Eve beheld the forbidden 
fruit and Lot's wife looked back. "The lust of the eye" has a 
strong hold upon mankind. It leads to the saloon, the billiard 
hall, the ball room, the theater, the circus, to all popular games, 
to works of fiction, to the horse-race, and to many other things 
and places that are hurtful to the soul. 

Raiment is to be worn by all, to prevent shame and to 
protect the body from heat and cold. God has blessed us with 
materials wherewith to clothe the body. "Having food and 
raiment, let us be therewith content" — but many are not. 
Instead of clothing the body in a simple, comfortable way. 
clothing is worn that is hideous, costly, uncomfortable, all 
because fashion dictates it. It is hard to tell to what extent the 
devotees of fashion would go were it not that officers of the 
law check them in their indecent attire. The adversary of 
souls has given this goddess an exalted place almost every- 
where. Its worship is very contagious, spreading from heart 
to heart, and when the fashions once get firmly fixed in the 
heart they soon get fixed on the body and this great warning* 
of God ignored: "Not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, 
or costly array" (I Tim. 2:9). 

The Affections. — "Be fruitful, and multiply, and re- 



TEMPTATION 165 

plenish the earth," was commanded the human family. God 
has wisely given powers of propagation to mankind and the 
ordinance of holy matrimony for its purity and welfare. 
Yielding to temptation and overstepping the bounds of society 
and Scripture leads to the awful sin of licentiousness. "Who- 
soever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed 
adultery already with her in his heart" (Matt. 5:28). David 
trifled with temptation and fell, as did Samson and Solomon. 
Flee like Joseph, resist like Paul. Indecent conversation 
between the sexes and caressing each other in the dark, 
constitutes reckless trifling with temptation. Under such 
conditions affection sinks into lust, and purity gives way to 
degradation and shame. Every decent person, properly en^ 
lightened, will shun that kind of familiarity as one would a 
viper. Courting temptation has "been the downfall and shame 
of unnumbered thousands. Licentiousness is degrading the 
human race, and may be the chief factor in its termination, as 
with the antedeluvian world. Beware! lest Satan drag you 
into lifelong disgrace and shame and on to destruction. "The 
Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations" 
(II Pet. 2:9). "Set your affections on things above." 

Other Avenues. — Space will not permit a discussion of 
the many ways the enemy comes to the mind directly, of the 
many snares the tempter lays with money, honor, and pleasure, 
and of temptations through the ear and the tongue. 

Keep as far from wrong as possible. Turn from the evil 
as soon as temptation with it begins. Keep out of the way of 
temptation wherever possible. To allow it to come when you 
can prevent it is dangerous, and to harbor it is sinful. The 
Word of God is full of danger signals, and to these we should 
give heed. Some small thing as a touch, a taste, a smell, a 
sound, a twinkle of the eye, a pressure, a thought, etc., is' 
often the starting point of the downward travel of a soul to 
the unblest world. "Touch not; taste not; handle not" the 
forbidden. "Above all, take the shield of faith, wherewith ye 
shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." 



166 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

"Yield not to temptation, 

For yielding is sin; 
Each vict'ry will help you 

Some other to win. 
Fight manfully onward, 

Dark passions subdue, 
Look ever to Jesus, 
He'll carry you through." 

Overcoming Temptation 

The Struggle. — It is no sin to be tempted, but it is a 
sin to yield. When any one is drawn away, he has always had 
a temptation first. "Every man is tempted, when he is drawn 
away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath 
conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, 
bringeth forth death" (Jas. 1:14, 15). This is the way irt 
which Satan is taking mighty hosts to perdition : temptation, 
drawn away and enticed by lust, conception (lust the mother 
and the devil the father) — "and sin, when it is finished, 
bringeth forth death!" "Do not err, my beloved brethren." 
The forces of hell are strong, but the power of heaven is 
still stronger. 

How to Meet the Tempter. — There are three ways to 
handle temptation: (1) Prayer brings the mighty help of God. 
Satan must give way before Him. "If God be for us, who can 
be against us?" (2) The Word of God "is quick and power- 
ful" and has shielded many a soul. In the use of the Word 
we can do no better than to follow the example of Christ, who, 
when He was tempted, simply remained with the Word and 
the devil could not harm Him. Many have fallen victims to 
the tempter's snares and power, when they might have over- 
come had they faithfully held fast the Word of God and 
refused to depart from it. To the end that we may overcome 
at all times we need to be well versed in Scripture that we may 
handle the sword of the Spirit effectively, and need to keep our 
conscience and will upon the altar of the Lord that we may 
never leave the Word through the allurements of sin. (3) 
Keep out of the reach of temptation as far as possible. To 



TEMPTATION 167 

court it, run into it needlessly thinking that we will be strong 
enough to resist, is not only exceedingly dangerous but ex- 
ceedingly sinful. "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into tempta- 
tion." The man who prays, "Lead us not into temptation,'' 
and at the same time, through curiosity or other needless 
excuse, goes into the way of temptation, needs to learn a lessor^ 
in consistency. 

Temptations Differ. — People are tempted differently. 
The strongest temptation for one is often not the strongest for 
another. It depends upon knowledge, environment, heredity, 
standing with God, individual makeup, etc. Satan puts upon 
his hook that which is most liable to attract the individual, be 
that strong drink, money, pride, lust, anger, etc. We are never 
free from the danger of attack from any side; therefore we 
should walk circumspectly, watching all around. 

Conscience. — Conscience helps greatly, especially if the 
heart has been "sprinkled from an evil conscience." It is that 
secret judgment of the soul which discerns between right and 
wrong. Two witnesses in every Christian heart give testimony 
as to the right or the wrong. They are (1) a good conscience 
and (2) the Holy Ghost. Heb. 10:15, 22; Rom. 9:1; Eph. 
3:16, 17. If the heart follows the dictates of these two 
faithful monitors the individual will Tiave "peace like a river." 
Otherwise, conscience is offended and the Holy Ghost is 
grieved. "I knew my duty and did* it not," touches the deepest 
depth of human woe. Disregarding the urgings of conscience 
weakens it, while acting conscientiously strengthens it for future 
service. Educate and cultivate, by the Word of God and 
obedience, a good, clear conscience. It is a mighty bulwark 
for the soul. 

All Subject to Temptation — "There hath no temptation 
taken you but such as is common to man." All flesh, since 
Adam's fall, is alike susceptible to most of the temptations, 
and we encounter them, more or less frequently, all through 
life. Our Christian warfare would cease if it were possible to 
get into a state free from temptation. The apostles, and all 



168 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

faithful Christians since that time, have had a continuous fight. 
Jesus says, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a 
crown of life" (Rev. 2:10). Paul, who had as much of God's 
grace as any man now living, said, "I keep under my body, 
and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I 
have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (I 
Cor. 9:27). 

Why the Struggle? — If the "old man is crucified" and 
we are "dead with Christ" why is there still such a struggle in 
temptation? There is but one crucifixion, and that was on the 
cross of self-denial when we began to follow Jesus. "Theyi 
that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with- the affections 
and lusts" (Gal. 5:24). We are then new creatures in Christ. 
"Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become 
new" (II Cor. 5:17). We are born again, babes in Christ. 
Our nature is different, for we have become "partakers of the 
divine nature" (II Pet. 1:4). The old creature that was 
willing to go on in sin is in subjection ; the new creature that 
serves God is ruling in its stead. This is a spiritual work. 

But remember we have the same natural body that we 
had before, and the same natural mind, both of which we 
inherited from Adam. All that is human about us we guide 
and govern by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because we are 
His, He gives us power and wisdom to control and subject the 
mind in its various operations, and the body in its senses and 
appetites, to His glory. We are "strengthened with might by 
his Spirit in the inner man" (Eph. 3:16). The new man, 
"which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" 
(Eph. 4:24), is on guard for the soul's safety, with the whole 
armor of God upon him. The subtle tempter who understands 
the workings of the mind far better than any psychologist, 
presents a dishonest deal, a fashionable dress, self-praise, 
anger, envy, scorn, a jest, filthy communication, etc. The "new 
man" cries, "No." While through the craftiness of Satan the 
unwary soul is often made the victim of the temptation, the 
watchful, consecrated child of God will become more and more 
secure against the wiles and power of the devil. Praise fills 



TEMPTATION . 169 

his soul and there is no inclination or room to "give place to 
the devil." 

Mortification. — This is a lifelong work after our cruci- 
fixion. It is the act of cutting of! or killing the feelings of mind 
and body for things sinful. Thus we cut off the hand or the foot 
or pluck out the eye that offends. "If ye live after the flesh, 
ye shall die : but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds 
of the body, ye shall live" (Rom. 8:13). "Mortify therefore 
your members which are upon the earth : fornication, unclean- 
ness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, 
which is idolatry" (Col. 3:5). The mortification of the natural 
propensities of our humanity, when Satan would use them to 
draw us into sin, means a continual warfare. "Fight onj my 
soul, till death." "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers 
and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the 
soul" (I Pet. 2:11). 

The Greatest Temptation 
Of all the temptations that come in life, there is none 
other that works such fearful havoc as the temptation to delay 
salvation. "Procrastination is the thief of time," and the thief 
of souls. When God calls to the unsaved ; "Behold, now is 
the accepted time ; behold, now is the day of salvation," the 
devil says, "Not now : time enough yet." All the hosts of hell 
are united upon the plan to delay conversion again and again, 
till death if possible, and millions are caught in the snare. 
Repent now — believe, and be saved. 
* * * 

With mind, body, and soul consecrated to God, with the 
Word of God as our unalterable guide and stay, with our 
affections set on things above and our minds occupied with 
noble thoughts and aspirations, with time fully occupied in 
working for the glory of God and our wills fixed, let come 
what will, we will hold on to God, the forces of earth and hell 
combined can never move us from the hope of our calling. 



1 CHAPTER III 

SIN 

Sin entered into the world, and death by sin; 
and so death passed upon all men, for that all 
have sinned. — Rom. 5:12. 

Definitions. — The word "sin" is a very short one, but it 
is one of the saddest ones in the English language. The Bible 
gives us no complete, comprehensive definition for sin, but 
taking the Bible as a whole we are clearly taught God's 
attitude toward it as well as its awful effects upon man. 
Several partial definitions are given, which enable us to make a 
study of the subject before us; but a close study of either will 
readily reveal the fact that certain things are shown to be sin, 
rather than an effort made to explain the real meaning of the 
word. Here are a few of these partial definitions. 

"The thought of foolishness is sin." — Prov. 24:9. 

"Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." — Rom. 14:23. 

"To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to 
him it is sin." — Jas. 4:17. 

"Sin is the transgression of the law." — I Jno. 3 :4. 

"All unrighteousness is sin." — I Jno. 5 :17. 

While all of these definitions are pointed and direct, none 
of them is comprehensive. For instance, which of them sets 
forth the idea that sin also includes the depravity of the hearts 
of those who have not yet sinned in actual transgression, or to 
whom God has not yet imputed sin? And does any one doubt 
that sin also includes this? 

Since a fountain cannot rise higher than its source, and 
since sin reigned in Adam from the fall, it came upon all his 
offspring. Bible students generally are agreed in recognizing 
this depravity and corruption which all have inherited through 
the fall as original sin, and those acts which naturally flow 
from a depraved heart as actual or committed sin. Theodore 



SIN 171 

Parker is quoted as saying, "I seldom use the word sin. The 
Christian doctrine of sin is the devil's own." This is in 
harmony with Rom. 12:9: "Abhor that which is evil." 

Its Effects upon Man 

Man's first Contact with Sin. — Man in his primitive con- 
dition was pure and (experimentally) did not "know evil;" 
but he was subject to the three avenues given in I Jno. 2 :16, 
and his fall was the result of the entrance of Satan and the 
yielding to temptation, doubting God's Word, wanting to be like 
God, lusting for what God had prohibited, and finally the break- 
ing of the commandments of God. Notice the course, for man 
travels that same road in our day. That man was free to 
choose is shown by the commandment, by the curse pronounced 
on man for violating it, and by present power to will which is 
acknowledged by all. The consequences of these transgressions 
were that their eyes were opened and it caused fear, shame, 
sorrow, banishment from the garden, death (natural and 
spiritual), depraved minds, hearts, and consciences with a 
bondage of sin upon their posterity. 

Demoralizing Influences. — The things which led the 
people gradually downward were pride, "fullness of bread," 
idleness (Ezek. 16:49), wrong associations (Gen. 13:12, 13), 
wrong marriages (I Kings 1:1-11), wrong governments (I 
Kings 13:33,34), kings which caused the people to sin (I Kings 
14:16), and wrong influences of women (I Kings 21:25). 
Indulgences in sin from generation to generation finally led to 
conditions as found in Jer. 21 :26. Following the steps shown 
above will always bring about the same results, — hardness of 
heart and daring God. 

A Bad List. — The sinfulness of sin is shown in such 
passages as Psa. 25:11, Job 22:5, Isa. 1:18 and Rom. 7:13. 
The cause for sin are the deceitfulness of the heart (Jer. 17: 
9), not properly guarding the three avenues shown in I Jno. 
2:16, and living out the principles of the wrong father (John 
8:44). Some of the heinous sins are, dishonesty (Deut. 31: 
17), idolatry (I Kings 14:22, 23), covetousness (Psa. 10:7), 



172 • BIBLE DOCTRINE 

thoughts of the wicked (Prov. 15:26), self-justification (Luke 
16:15), and seven things so abominable that they have the 
hatred of God upon them (Prov. 6:16-19). 

Man a Responsible Being. — The argument is often given 
that man has had no choice in regard to his coming into this 
world and therefore should not be held responsible, and since 
God knows all things He must necessarily have something to* 
do with man's disposition and yielding to sin. It should be 
remembered, first, that while God had something to do in 
regard to man's coming into the world He has not placed him 
here without making a way possible to escape from the evils 
resulting from sin, and that while it is true that God knows 
what will befall man, He knows it without interfering with the 
decisions or will of man as we know things that are past 
without having had any part in bringing about the events. 

The Fact of Sin. — With all of the foregoing as a founda- 
tion, much of which needs no further discussion, may we study 
the subject a little more in detail. The Scriptures represent 
man as a sinful being, one who is transgressing the law which 
he ought to obey. On the other hand they are constantly 
holding up sin as a moral evil to be avoided because of the bad 
effect upon body and soul. This is also borne out in human 
experience. Conscience is constantly declaring that man is out 
of proper relations with God. It may justify certain acts (and 
man is trying to hush conscience by upholding these acts) but 
it condemns the general character of man. This is true even 
in the heathen world where the people are ignorant of the 
teachings of the Bible. The higher the standard of religion (all 
heathen nations have a religion of some kind) the more clearly 
this fact is brought out, and the tortures which man will pass 
through in order to get rid of sins are simply heart-rending. 
The reason for their knowledge of sin without knowing how to 
get rid of it is that the former is implanted into their very 
natures while the latter is not. Even governments by their 
restrictions and penal codes show that sin is something that 
must be recognized and reduced to a minimum. Justice and 
criminal courts, jails, reformatories, penitentiaries, gallows, and 



SIN 173 

electric chairs are all evidences of this. Sin is not a matter of 
uoctrine but a fact that may be observed in the actions of 
humanity everywhere. Cruelty, selfishness, sexual excesses, 
intoxication, and a score of other things equally bad might be 
presented as evidences of that fact. 

How Man Becomes Depraved. — There has been much 
discussion as to how the depravity of man was brought about. 
Some argue that the fall of Adam had no effect on his 
posterity; that the result was entirely upon himself; that the 
child now born into the world is as holy as Adam was before 
the fall; that all the bad results are from bad teaching and 
example. Others claim that when man disobeyed, God actually 
planted evil into man and that this was a part of the curse. 
Still others claim that the depravity of man is simply the! 
withdrawal of the good; that when God withdrew His Spirit 
from man he was subject to temptations which he had not the 
power to resist, and as the child partakes of the nature of the 
parents "evil is present." 

The first can not be true from the fact that Cain who 
became a murderer would have had no one to teach him the 
evil, but malice and murder were in his heart, and it is evident 
that his parents and his brother would not have taught him 
this wrong for they would not have been taught it themselves. 
Again, the child manifests anger and even love for evil before- 
teaching could have any effect. The amount of evil in the 
world is not parallel to the amount of righteous teaching, but 
if teaching were the only point in question then good and evil 
would be parallel with the amount of good and bad teaching. 
It could not be otherwise. 

The second argument is likewise fallacious. This would 
make the Lord the creator of evil in the hearts of men. Thus 
He would become the propagator of that which nothing but 
the blood of His own Son could remove. This certainly would 
be "a house divided against itself." True, the Lord sent evil 
spirits which troubled the people, but that is quite different" 
from Himself becoming the author of evil in man. 

Believing that the last is the doctrine of the Scripture, it 



174 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

will be discussed at greater length. It is evident that God 
withdrew His Spirit from Adam and that the legal relation 
which he sustained with God for his sin passed upon his 
posterity. The nature of the curse shows that Adam lost the 
presence of the Lord in the relation which he sustained before 
the fall, and Job presents a challenge in saying, "Who can 
bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one." The 
parents are legally unclean, or imbued with sin, then how can 
the child be otherwise? A few quotations from the Psalms 

are very telling on this part of the subject: "The wicked 

go astray as soon as they are born" (Psa. 58:3). "Behold, I 
was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive 
me" (Psa. 51:5). Rom. 5:12 and Eph. 2:3 are a few of the 
New Testament references on the subject. Mark 7:21-23 
shows that evil thoughts come from within, but if teaching 
were the means of getting evil into the heart then these things 
would of necessity come from without before they could come 
from within. This is not the import of this scripture. 

Probably there is no stronger argument in regard to this 
thought than that of the necessity of the new birth. The term 
"flesh" is used in contrast to that which comes from God, and 
is shown up in the light of strong opposition to that which is 
godly. The Scriptures teach that to be obedient to the flesh 
brings corruption, hence to be born of the Spirit is the only! 
means of escape. That all peoples of all times are included as 
being under sin is set forth in strong terms in Rom. 3. 

Some have . regarded the body to be the seat of all that is 
sinful, but that can not be accepted; first, because the natural 
propensities in man are not necessarily evil, provided they are 
kept in check as they are intended; secondly, because such 
sins as covetousness, hatred, etc., while they are conditions of 
the perverted mind and are evil, they are not the productions 
of the body but of the mind or spirit of man. While this must 
be admitted, we must not forget that the body will commit no 
sin that is not directed by the mind; hence committed sin is a 
production of the mind or heart. Committed sin may well bq 
termed the yielding of the higher or spirit nature in man to 



SIN 175 

the lower or brute nature. If man did not possess through 
divine help the power to conquer that which is base, he would 
not have sin; but in that case he would not be a free moral 
agent and the "whosoever wills" of the Bible would not have 
much meaning. But who doubts this? Nay, man is blame- 
worthy and responsible for his wrongs. Sin is not simply a 
misfortune like sickness or an accident like a broken bone, but 
it is clearly a fault. 

Man's Relation to Sin 

From what has preceded it is clear that man is responsible 
for his sins, and that he should study the nature of sin, its 
deceptions, the inner moral quality that would tend to yield to 
it, and the effect upon the sinner. What then is 

The nature of sin? Probably a parti'al conception of its 
nature may be conveyed by the term, moral badness. It is 
opposed to that which is good and pure and is so absolutely 
against man's welfare that he should, even if the Scriptures 
did not teach it, "abhor that which is evil." It is an abnormal 
condition which man allows to exist within himself. He was 
made to glorify God, but experience and observation prove that 
impurity and ungodliness are the overflow of the heart of man 
left to himself, notwithstanding the fact that these things are 
detrimental, both to the purpose of his creation and to his 
well-being for time and eternity. 

Sin is sin, whether it is known as such or not; but it is 
evident that he who sins against better knowledge not only has 
the greater condemnation (Luke 12:47, 48), but is paving the 
way for greater temptations to assail him and make the way 
more difficult. The greater the light possessed the greater the 
sin when the known path of duty is neglected or wilfully set 
aside. This is the stage of sin where self-will and self- 
gratification over-ride the will of God and the known duty of 
man. No one can retain right relations with God under such 
conditions of mind, for this is turning away from God and 
spurning His claim to our most humble service and love. 
God's government or His law by which men ought to be 



176 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

governed must be pure and holy because of its source and will 
tend to that kind of a life in the individual, hence this moral 
evil which tends in exactly the opposite direction must naturally 
work in opposition to God's holy will and Word. 

The Effect of Sin. — Though man was created a pure and 
holy being with no sin in him and experimentally did not even 
know what "evil" was, with nothing within him which could 
tempt him to sin, he was tempted from without and yielding to 
the temptation brought most serious effects upon himself and 
his posterity. After that sin was within, and man might be 
tempted by that which was in him. The infant, though not 
responsible, has so much of the corrupt nature in it that it 
becomes intensely angry. This is true of children of all 
nationalities. One effect of sin then is that the seed is planted 
into the very nature of the child from its birth, or that 
depravity is universal. As the years of accountability come 
and the higher light presses itself upon the conscience, the 
person becomes responsible; and that which at one time was 
not reckoned as sin must now be considered as such, and the 
individual must be changed or the sin will drag him down. 
The extent of this degeneracy can not be stated. That depends 
largely upon the individual. But there is a gradation in the 
first chapter of I John that should be considered very seriously, 
for more are bound that way than are conscious of it. First, 
"we lie" (V. 6). No one can long say or act that which he 
knows is not true, either with regard to secular or spiritual 
things without coming to the second step, "we deceive our- 
selves" (V. 8). This is manifest in nearly every case where 
individuals stand away from Christ against better knowledge. 
They continue to make excuses for their position until they 
believe, at least in a measure, what only a few years before 
they knew was not true. Having gone this far they will soon 
doubt what God says in His word and so "make Him a liar" 
(V. 10). They may deny this, but the fact that they remain 
away from Christ is evidence that while they believe many) 
things in that Word, they do not believe the importance which 
it puts on the "today," even though God has shown the positive 



SIN 177 

need of giving this our closest attention. This gradation is 
given here because it so clearly shows the condition of the 
human heart where God does not rule. 

But there is one other effect which should not be over- 
looked. Every thought and act has its effect upon the brain- 
cells and as acts are the results of thought and many times of 
thoughts often repeated, the need of getting away from sin in 
order to prevent the development of the wrong cells at once 
becomes apparent. Not only is this true of single sins but it 
is doubly true of the individual who from choice regards sin 
too dear to forsake his sins and turn to God. As age advances 
these cells become more and more fixed, and when development 
is wrong from infancy to middle life the poor unfortunate 
sinner will have a much harder and much more prolonged 
struggle to make his life conform to the will of God than 
if these cells had never been developed. True, God can and 
will forgive ; but He has never promised to take away the 
knowledge of sin, and who has not had the experience of 
battling against sin and temptation simply because of a knowl- 
edge of sin which he received when wilfully indulging in it? 
This brain development has been watched by many evangelists 
and psychologists, and the ratio of conversions of young and 
old noted, so that it is now thought that the likelihood of 
conversion decreases fourfold with every ten years — that is to 
say, from ten to twenty there is a strong probability of 
conversion, but from twenty to thirty there is only one fourth, 
and from thirty to forty only one-sixteenth, and from forty to 
fifty only one-sixty-fourth as much of a probability of con- 
version as between the ages of ten to twenty. If this- is true, 
sin becomes so much the more appalling, and its effect a thing 
to be shunned even more than the most venomous serpent or 
the most ferocious beast. 

The Perpetuation of Sin 

It is a law in both the natural and spiritual world that 
"like begets like" and the depravity of man is no exception to 
the rule. True, there are children who are very different from 



178 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

their parents, but it is not likely that ancestry need to be traced 
very far until the leading characteristics of the child can be 
found in the parents. This is true even with all allowance for 
pre-natal conditions which often have a great effect on 
posterity. As all humanity became depraved with the fall, it 
could not impart a better nature to its posterity than it had 
itself; hence the propagation of the race meant the propagation 
of depravity. This does not mean necessarily that conditions 
have been getting "worse and worse" from Adam's time to the 
present, and that there is no good in the world. Good as well 
as evil has been transmitted, but it is not the kind of good that 
is needed to glorify God. In this way evil nature or depravity 
is maintained in the world and will be to the end of time. 

The Guilt of Sin 
Depravity is inherited but guilt is not. There must be sm 
committed or actual duty neglected before the person is guilty. 
Then, too, we must distinguish between guilt and punishment, 
or even the liability to it. Guilt is not the verdict of courts, 
for there are many instances where they have condemned the 
innocent and cleared the guilty. Guilt as used in connection 
with sin is the moral delinquency which rests upon the violator 
of God's law. Courts may pass verdicts of "Not guilty," 
because the lawyer and the defendent have been able to hide 
the truth to such an extent that men everywhere believed the 
culprit to be innocent; but the "Judge of all the earth" says^ 
"guilty," for He knows the motives of men and never makes a 
mistake. Guilt, therefore, is not public sentiment nor even, 
conviction of the individual conscience, but it is the relation in 
which God holds the transgressor. A person's guilt can never 
be separated from his sin. 

Punishment for Sin 
In Time. — Guilt is in itself a punishment for sin. The 
terror of this can not be fully described. Haunted with guilt, 
the convict tries many expedients and as often fails to relieve 
his troubled conscience. Because he refuses to go to the 
right source for relief he is obliged to go on in his agony until 



SIN 179 

a dying conscience, the insane asylum, or death itself ends his 
troubles to the natural eye. Pen fails to describe the punish- 
ment that man has suffered from this source. The reason may 
be that his sin has brought some calamity upon himself; such 
as imprisonment, a sentence of death, or some bodily affliction 
from which he is obliged to suffer as long as he lives. Or it 
may be that he has done some fellowman an injury, and being 
too proud to acknowledge his wrong, or the wrong being of 
such a nature that he can not rectify it, his guilt lies heavily 
upon his burdened heart. Again, in other instances the real 
burden is the disapproval of a justly offended but loving 
heavenly Father. Sin is the inveterate enemy of that Father's 
cause and ruinous to His creatures, hence is hated of Him. 
Thus it is that a guilty conscience may be a very severe 
punishment even in this life. 

The value of this kind of punishment is very great. 
Many have been kept from walking in forbidden paths simply 
because they knew that the reaping was the inevitable result of 
the sowing. It should not be considered that this is good 
service to God, or that it will satisfy Him; but since evi\ 
produces more evil, and the knowledge of God is likely to 
grow in those who recognize Him, it must be admitted that 
the individuals who realize this and act accordingly are more 
likely to be converted and true service follow. This kind of 
punishment has great disciplinary effect. 

In Eternity. — But there is still another punishment for 
sin, which though it is so dark that it can not be thought of 
without a horror and a real sadness for the poor unfortunates, 
it must receive some attention here. It is that which comes 
beyond a sinful life. This subject will be treated under 
another head and it is not the intention to discuss it further 
here than simply to show its relation to the subject of this 
chapter. 

The punishment referred to thus far all comes in this life. 
This comes beyond the grave. There will be a separation in 
the Judgment (Matt. 25:32). It has been said that even this 
is mercy, as the wicked would be in great misery in the 



180 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

presence of God and the praises of the redeemed. The 
wicked will be sent to a place .not prepared for them (Matt. 
25:41). It will be perpetual. Think of the class of society 
that will be there. Rev. 21 :8. 

Fear of hell never in itself saved any one. It may serve 
as a means of awakening the lost, and even the nominal churchy 
member is roused from his lethargy by a fear of having his 
part with the doomed. The scene is too dark to look upon. 
Let us have so much interest in the home of the blessed, the 
loving kindness of God, and the enjoyment of those who have 
gone before that neither the punishment in this world nor that 
which is to come may be ours. 

The dreadful picture which is found in the Scriptures of 
that which has sin as a foundation should not only cause the 
sinner to shun it as he would a serpent, but it should stir the 
Church to see so many going that way and at the same time, 
know what their destiny will be if they are not checked in 
their mad career. 



PART III 



The Plan of Salvation 



CHAPTERS 

J. E. Hartzler 

I REDEMPTION V JUSTIFICATION 

II ATONEMENT VI CONVERSION 

III FAITH VII REGENERATION 

IV REPENTANCE VIII SANCTIFICATION 

IX ADOPTION 



THE PLAN OF SALVATION 



"All have sinned, and come short of the l^lory of God." 
"The soul that sinneth it shall die." "Death passed upon all 
men, for that all have sinned." 

Such is the sad commentary upon the human family. 
"God created man upright." As the crowning work of crea- 
tion he was placed, pure and undefiled, happy and rich be- 
yond measure, in the paradise of God, and given dominion 
over all the earth. But man fell from his lofty position, 
forfeited his rights to the blessings of God, and was there- 
fore driven from the Garden, banished from the tree of life, 
and brought upon himself and the whole human family the 
ignominy of sin, of shame, of defilement, of wretchedness, of 
death! Man deliberately sinned away his inheritance, and 
man must therefore bear the consequences. Moreover, by 
his own strength he can do nothing to redeem and deliver 
himself. He is helpless, absolutely helpless. Sin is preying 
upon his vitals, and death reigns in his soul. Such are the 
awful facts, which the Word of God clearly reveals. 

But God in His wisdom and love has conceived a way 
of deliverance, a "plan of salvation." When He conveyed to 
Adam and Eve the knowledge of what they had brought up- 
on themselves He graciously coupled with it the promise of 
a Redeemer. "From the foundation of the world" He pre- 
pared a Kingdom for such as should accept this Redeemer 
as Savior and Lord. Briefly stated, this plan of salvation 
consists of the sacrifice of the only begotten Son of God, 
through the shedding of whose blood the sins of the world 
were atoned for and all who will may have eternal life. How 
lost sinners may be restored into favor, friendship and fellow- 
ship with God and become "joint heirs with Christ'' for 
immortal glory is set, forth in the chapters which follow. 



CHAPTER I 

REDEMPTION 

We have redemption through His blood, the 
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His 
grace. — Eph. i :y. 

In this chapter we shall consider the questions of the fall 
of man ; from what man has been redeemed ; results of 
redemption, how accomplished, and the extent of redemption. 
But first of all it is needful that we understand fully what is 
meant by and included in the word "redemption." In other 
words, we must decide on a 

Definition 

The Hebrew word for "redeem" is "gaal," and means "to 
free ; to be freed." Ex. 6 :6 ; Lev. 25 :49, etc. The Greek 
word translated redeem is "agorazo" and means, "To acquire 
at the forum." See Gal. 3:13; 4:5. Another Greek word 
"lutroo," means, "To loose by a price." See Luke 24 :21 ; 
I Pet. 1:18, etc. The word "redemption" in the Hebrew is 
"geullah," and means, "The right or price of redemption." 
Lev. 25 :24, 52. Another Greek word "apolutrosis," translated 
"redemption" means, "a loosing away." Luke 21:28; Rom. 
3:24; 8:23. "Lutrosis" is used twice (Luke 2:38; Heb. 9:2) 
and is translated "redemption, meaning "a loosing away." 

To summarize : we may conclude that the word "redemp- 
tion" carries the idea of "setting free ;" "the acquiring at the 
forum at a certain price." It means a loosing from something, a 
setting free. The man who is redeemed is he who is bought 
and set free. The German theologian, Wendt, holds that 
"lutron" means a "ransom." He finds the best explanation in 
Matt. 11:28-30: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are 
heavy laden, and I will give you rest." "By the voluntary 



184 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

God-consecrated sacrifice of His life to suffering and death, 
He delivers from their bondage to suffering and death many, 
namely all those who will learn of Him .... And so to trans- 
form death from being a dreadful foe to a means of salvation." 
(Teaching of Jesus, Vol. II; p. 231.) 

The Fall of Man 

It is self-evident that since redemption has been accom- 
plished, since man has been freed, he must have fallen into 
hostile hands, must have gotten away from God's intended 
position for him. This getting away from God, whether by 
falling or failing to rise ; this being captured by a foreign 
power, we summarize in the expression, "The fall." 

The Biblical account of the fall is given in Gen. 3. Little, 
if any, time shall be given here to the different types of 
theological thought which today deny the reality of the fall. 
We accept the Genesis account in a complete sense as contain- 
ing the truth, as well as every fundamental fact or element in 
the origin of sin and the fall of man. 

Man was placed under most favorable circumstances, but 
through deliberate disobedience and yielding to sin he destroyed 
that holy and original relationship between himself and God. 
If, as some tell us, the story of the fall is but an allegory, then 
who knows but that the story of Noah, of Abram and others 
are also allegory? Even though it were allegorical (which it 
was not) the principles would be none the less true. The 
principles of Christian living are no less true in Bunyan's 
Pilgrim's Progress because it is an allegory. Allegory always 
rests on facts. 

But few, if any, critics will go so far as to advocate that 
the stories of Abram, Moses, Joshua and others are but 
allegory. The fall of man, like all other records of the 
Pentateuch, is but a part of a continuous record of events. 
To teach that man did not fall, but only failed to rise, is a 
contradiction. To fail to rise to our best is a great fall in 
itself. Sins of omission, as well as sins of commission, cause 






REDEMPTION 185 

men to fall. So in the end it matters little what method men 
adopt for the fall, the fact sitll remains. 

The Scriptures give one continuous testimony to the fact 
of the fall of man. Jesus Christ believed the Mosaic account 
of the creation and fall of man. (See Matt. 19:4, 5.) If the 
Son of God can believe the account, certainly men will not be 
worse if they believe it. Men today are no better able to know 
the truth in these matters than was the Son of God. Jesus 
never questioned the truthfulness of the Old Testament records. 

Paul also declared that, "By one man sin entered into the 
world .... In Adam all die." "I fear, lest by any means, as 
the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds 
should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (II 
Cor. 11:3). "For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And 
Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in 
the transgression" (I Tim. 2:13, 14). If we deny the authority 
of Paul on this point, how can we trust him on any other? 
If Christ was deceived, how can we trust Him? But the fact 
is Moses, Christ, and Paul all agree in their testimony and no 
impartial jury could reject it. 

The results of the fall may be stated in but few words. 
Contrary to the once common view that man in the fall 
sustained no special moral loss, that his loss was only the loss 
of the garden and that he was created a mortal being and 
would have died anyway, we have evidence that as a result of 
the fall man brought about God's displeasure ; that he lost the 
image in which he was created (Col. 3:15); that he brought 
upon himself physical death (Gen. 3:19) as well as death 
spiritual (Ezek. 18:4); that Adam in the fall paved the way 
for the fall of every other man and brought a hopeless and 
helpless condition upon the human race. This leads to the 
consideration of the question, 

From What was Man Redeemed? 

1. From the devil. "And He was casting out a devil, 
and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was 



186 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

gone out, the dumb spake" (Luke 11:14). From this and 
numerous other scriptures it is evident that men have been 
demon-possessed, under the control of Satan. It was the work 
of Christ to cast out devils and deliver men from them. Men 
have been set free, loosed from the devil; and by this we mean 
that man has been set free from a condition brought about by 
the evil one. 

2. From the world. "Who gave himself for our sins, 
that he might deliver us from this present evil world" (Gal. 
1 :4). No sane or rational mind will question the fact of moral 
evil in this present world. The universal conviction of the 
human race admits the fact. Trouble, sorrow, sickness, suffer- 
ing, jails, etc., are present realities and are the outward expres- 
sions of evil in the human family. If, as some would have it, 
man did not fall, then, why all this sorrow, evil, and suffering 
in the world? If the evolutionary idea of the rise of man be 
true, then it is evident that man started on a very low plain 
(and this is contrary to Gen. 1 :27) or else as yet, he did not 
rise very high. The present world is sorely afflicted with evil ; 
and it is from this present evil world from which man has 
redemption. 

3. From the power of sin. (Read Rom. 6:14-18, also 
7:14-25.) It can not be denied that sin exercised a wonderful 
dominion over men. Men have become the servants of sin, 
and this means subjection to sin. But through redemption man 
has been provided the privilege of becoming free from sin, the 
old master, and becoming the servant of righteousness. It was 
Paul's experience of having been carnal, sold under sin. Sin 
held dominion over him. The things which he did in sin his 
conscience would not allow ; and the things he knew to be 
right, the things he desired to do, in these he failed. And he 
frankly admits that it was not he that did the things but that 
it was sin dwelling in him. 

The seventh chapter of Romans has been interpreted in 
several ways. The most common are the following: (1) 
That the experience in this chapter was the pre-conversion 



REDEMPTION 187 

experience of Paul. (2) That it was Paul's post-conversion 
experience. (3) That the experience of Rom. 7 is the normal 
Christian experience. (4) That Paul was speaking the ex- 
perience of the entire human race with his own experience as 
a back-ground. Whatever position may be taken on this 
chapter one thing is evident: Paul had learned that the power 
of deliverance, freedom and redemption came through Jesus 
Christ, whether he spoke for himself or the race. One thing 
Paul knew : there were two laws in his body warring against 
each other, and the dominating law was the master. 

4. From the curse of the law. "Christ hath redeemed 
us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us" (Gal. 
3:13). Redemption from legalism is what the Jew needed. 
The text quoted was spoken to Jews, not Gentiles. The 
Gentile has sufficient curse upon him aside from creeping in 
under the law. Our judgment is recorded in Romans chapters 
one and two. We are judged not by Mosaic law, but by the 
law within our hearts. But whether it be law on tables of 
stone or the heart, we have redemption through Jesus Christ; 
we have been loosed from the curse. Law broken which was 
written in the heart is equally criminal with that broken which 
was written on tables of stone. There is no difference ; all 
have sinned. But Jesus Christ has become a curse for us; He 
has paid the price and the justice of God will not allow the 
curse to continue. 

5. From all evil and iniquity. "For the grace of God 
that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us 
that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live 
soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking 
for that blessed hope, and • the glorious appearing of the great 
God and our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, 
that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto 
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Tit. 2:11-14. 
See also Gen. 48:16). Men need not wait until death to be set 
free from all iniquity; they may be free now and in this 
present time. The old slave-holder will offer new inducements 



188 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

for your return to him, but it is yours through the power of 
the Christ never to return to him with all his inducement and 
temptations. Through His redemption men have been set free, 
loosed from all iniquity. Even Jacob realized the possibility of 
deliverance from all evil. 

6. From death. "I will ransom them from the power 
of the grave; I will redeem them from death" (Hos. 13:14). 
Even though Israel had destroyed herself, yet the Lord 
promised to help her. He will yet redeem her from the power 
of the grave ; He will redeem her from death. Jesus Christ 
Himself will be a fatal plague to death and will utterly destroy 
the grave. In fact, it is already done ; the grave was not 
powerful enough to keep the Christ. In the death of Christ 
death died. In the burial of Christ death was laid to the 
eternal grave. In the tomb of Christ the grave was buried and 
sealed for eternity. In the resurrection of Christ the grave was 
rent and the locks of the prison house were broken never again 
to hold captive the souls of men who desire and accept 
deliverance. 

7. From destruction. "Who redeemeth thy life from 
destruction" (Psa. 103:4). To the writer of this text it was 
evident that destruction awaited men at the end of the ways 
of sin. It is clear to any careful observer. Sin is destructive 
in its very nature ; it stands for destruction and estrangement 
from God ; its natural outcome is ruin. No extra penalty, 
besides the natural consequences of sin, need be added. The 
divine laws are so ordered that sin inflicts its own penalty. 
Good produces good, bad produces bad. The longer good is 
protected the better it becomes ; the longer bad goes on the 
worse it becomes. Hence it is literally true that, "Evil men and 
seducers shall wax worse and worse." It is a divine law which 
can not be altered. But through Christ man has been redeemed 
from the destruction of sin. There is still hope for man 
through the redemption in Christ. 

It is thus evident that man has been redeemed from a 
most unfavorable, unnatural and abnormal condition. The 



REDEMPTION 189 

great price paid means that man must have been saved or 
redeemed from a great depth of slavery and destruction. This. 
I am fully aware, is the old, orthodox view of the matter and 
somewhat out of date with certain types of evolutionary 
thought, but it is the only view that helps men out of sin to 
live the highest and best life. 

Results of Redemption 

1. Men become the property of God- "But now thus 
saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed 
thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have 
called thee by thy name; thou art mine'' (Isa. 43:1). The 
word "redemption," as noted above, means a "loosing away;" 
a buying with a price ; a setting free of one in bondage or 
slavery. And so Jehovah spoke to Israel : "I have redeemed 
thee . . . thou art mine." A government bond, when redeemed, 
goes back to that government and can be held no longer by 
another. Man when redeemed, becomes the property of God ; 
he comes under the ownership of God. Man has no more 
claim to his own life. 

2. Men become a peculiar and purchased people. "Who 
gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, 
and purify unto himself a peculiar people" (Tit. 2:14). The 
object of redemption was to purify a people, to create a 
separate people, "zealous of good works." Peter states a clear 
case when he calls redeemed men a "chosen generation, a royal 
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people" (I Pet. 2:9). 
The word "peculiar" has been somewhat abused by some. It 
does not necessarily mean "queer" or "conspicious" in some 
outward appearance. The Greek expression in Peter is "peri- 
poiesis," and means, "for acquisition." It means to purchase. 
In Ex. 19:5, Deut. 26:18. and Psa. 135:4 it "signifies God's 
own special possession." 

3. Forgiveness of sins. "In whom we have redemption 
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Eph. 1:7). "In 
whom we have redemption through his blood, even the for- 
giveness of sins" (Col. 1:14). Without redemption through 



190 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

the giving of the life of Jesus we could not enjoy the ex- 
perience of the forgiveness of sin. Sin which is punished 
needs not be forgiven; sins forgiven can not be punished. 
Christ did not suffer the full "penalty" of human sin. If He had, 
then the wicked would receive no further punishment. Jesus 
was not our substitute only, but also our representative. He 
represented man in suffering to a sufficient extent to satisfy 
justice. And it is through this suffering, life, and death of 
Jesus that we have forgiveness. The penalty for sin has been 
lifted for the penitent; forgiveness takes the place of punish- 
ment and loss. 

4. ■ Cleansing from sin. Referring again to Titus 2 :14 
we have evidence that redemption means cleansing; in other 
words, redemption from all iniquity. "But if we walk in the 
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, 
and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all 
sin" (I Jno. 1:7). It is not a case of being forgiven and then 
turning to the same old sinful ways. It also means a cleansing 
from all sin that we no longer practice sin. The clean life may 
be lived; a life free from the filth of sin. The thoughts, 
words, and deeds of the redeemed are pure and clean. 

5. Adoption into the family of God. "God sent forth 
his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem 
them that were under the law, that we might, receive the 
adoption of sons" (Gal. 4:4, 5). An ultimate object of 
redemption is to make men sons of God. We are not slaves, 
but sons. We become members of the family of God. What 
belongs to God we may inherit. We become joint heirs with 
Christ and share and shall enjoy the inheritance with Him. 

How Accomplished 

This question has been practically answered already ; but 
to further summarize the scriptural teaching on the point we 
may observe that redemption is accomplished, 

1. By God. (Read Luke 1:68; 7:16.) Primarily the 
work of redemption is a direct work of God the Father who 
has visited His children. This visit has been accomplished 



REDEMPTION 191 

through His Son who perfectly represented the Father. God is 
the author of redemption and through Him it has been 
accomplished. 

2. By Christ. (Read Matt. 20:28; Gal- 3:13.) Every- 
thing in redemption God has accomplished through the Christ. 
Christ gave His life as a ransom, a price, in exchange for the 
lost. He "poured out His soul unto death" (Isa. 53:12). It 
is not the perfect human body that saves men in Christ; it 
is the pouring out of His soul ; it is in the act of emptying 
Himself. Phil. 2:5. The humiliation of Christ was in the 
fact that He took upon himself the likeness of sinful flesh. 
In other words, His life was lived on the earth subject to 
temptations to sin like our own. Just as the law was doomed 
in the fact that Christ lived under the law, so also was the 
flesh doomed in the fact that Christ was sent in the likeness of 
sinful flesh. 

3. By the blood of Christ. (Read Acts 20:28; Heb. 
9:12; I Pet. 1:19.) But this has been said a number of times. 
It was through the sacrifice of Christ, through His life and 
death that we have redemption. Getting under the blood means 
getting under the life of Christ and accepting Him as our 
substitute and representative. 

Extent of the Redemption 

In by-gone years it was a question with some as to who 
was included in the redemptive work of Christ. Some have 
believed that a select number, the "elect," the "foreordained," 
would enjoy the benefits of redemption while the non-elect 
would be damned. This is the old Calvinistic view ; but many 
that formerly held that theory have learned better and believe 
now that God loves everybody and desires that all men be 
saved. Ezek. 33:11, Isa. 45:22. But we may note further, 
that : 

1. Redemption extends to all under the law. (See 
again Gal. 4:5.) The law was but a means to an end. It 
could not save men for the reason that men failed to keep the 
law. The law was but a tutor to bring men to the Christ. 



192 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

The Jew under the law needed redemption as well as the 
Gentile without the law. The Jews are redeemed and if they 
are ever saved as a people (and they will be — Rom. 11), they 
will come in on the same terms as the Gentile. There is now 
no difference. 

2. Redemption extends to all under the curse of the law. 
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being 
made a curse for us" (Gal. 3:13). As far as the curse of the 
law extended that far redemption extends. Primarily this 
refers to the Jew ; but it also includes the Gentile. 

3. Redemption extends to all the world. "For thou 
was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of 
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation" (Rev. 5:9). 
There is not a nation, a kindred, not a tongue or people but 
that redemption has reached them. All men .have been 
redeemed ; all have been paid for ; release from bondage and 
sin is within the reach of all. A prisoner who is delivered by 
a ransom is not necessarily pardoned ; in fact "ransom" does 
not mean pardon. All men are ransomed, but not all are 
pardoned. Men must accept their ransom if they would be 
pardoned and saved. 

Three Erroneous Views 

1. That the "ransom" was paid to the devil. If man in 

sin was made subject to a foreign power, and if "ransom" 
means a purchasing price, then it seems that this price was paid 
to him who held the rule over man in sin. In other words, 
one might be apt to think that the devil got the price. "But did 
Satan get the life and blood of Christ? Absolutely no. Man 
was redeemed from a condition, rather than from a person. 
Sin is a result of violation of God's law and it is to God and 
His law that satisfaction must be made. To illustrate : the 
slaves of the South were set free, but the slave-holders did not 
receive any ransom money. 

2. That the ransom means universal salvation- It is 
claimed by some that since the ransom has been paid for all 



REDEMPTION 193 

therefore every man will in the end be saved. This point has 
been noted elsewhere and it is sufficient here to say that the 
doctrine of universalism has no scriptural sanction. 

3. That the ransom means a "second probation." To 
teach that "the ransom of Christ guarantees to every man 
another opportunity or trial for life everlasting" during the 
millennium is in direct contradiction to Rev. 9:21: "Neither 
repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of 
their fornication, nor of their thefts." Even though another 
probation were given, men still would not repent. 
* * * 

In conclusion, we shall keep clearly in mind the fact 
of redemption ; t hat redemption means a loosing away, a 
setting free from bondage and sin ; that man fell from God's 
intended purpose in him; that from this fallen state, and the 
results of the same, man has been redeemed ; that the results 
of redemption are all toward the restoration of proper relations 
between man and God ; that redemption is accomplished 
primarily through God, Christ and His blood and that it 
remains only for men to accept their redemption if they would 
be saved and live the better life. 



CHAPTER II 
THE ATONEMENT 

Saved from wrath .... through our Lord Jesus 
Christ, by whom we have now received the atone- 
ment. — Rom. 5:9, 11. 

It is by no means possible in this brief compass to give a 
full and complete treatment of this important subject. Perhaps 
we can do no better at the outset than to formulate a clear and 
scriptural 

Definition 

The very common expression that atonement means "at- 
one-ment" is misleading as well as unscriptural. The word in 
no case in Scripture was ever used in that sense. "At-one- 
ment" is a result of atonement rather than the atonement itself. 
It is very true that through the atonement man and God may 
become one ; but the word does not imply that such at-one- 
ment has taken place. Men may be atoned for and yet not be 
at one with God. 

The Hebrew word "kippurim/- translated "atonement" 
means literally, "coverings," and is used about nine times in the 
Old Testament. (See Ex. 29:36; 30:10, 16; Lev. 23:27, etc.) 

Another Hebrew word, "kaphar," translated "atonement" 
means literally, "to cover, make a covering, to be covered," and 
is used about seventy times in the Old Testament. (See Ex. 
29:36, 37; 32:30; Psa. 32:1, etc.) 

The Greek word "katallage," translated "reconciliation," 
(R. V.) is used once in the New Testament (Rom. 5:11) and 
means, a reconciling of parties at variance ; renewal of friend- 
ship after disagreement or enmity ; atonement. 

The word atonement is found but once in the New Testa- 
ment in the Authorized Version and not at all in the Revised. 
Paul uses the word "reconciliation" (II Cor. 5:18-19) to 



ATONEMENT 195 

designate the work of Christ by way of what He has ac- 
complished rather than to designate the means by which He 
accomplished His work. 

The fact that there are so many theories concerning the 
atonement may be accounted for in part by the fact that many 
people confuse the questions of what Christ has accomplished 
and the means by which He has accomplished it. As to what 
He has accomplished we need not be in doubt; but as to the 
how He accomplished it has not been made entirely clear even 
in the Word itself. Very true, by His death ; but who will 
explain fully? Perhaps a better day is awaiting us when we 
turn from the question of How atonement was accomplished to 
the fact of the atonement itself. 

The doctrine of the atonement centers about Christ as the 
Mediator. This mediation may take three forms : ( 1 ) that of 
Prophet; (2) that of Priest; (3) that of King. 

As a prophet Jesus was the means or the channel of divine 
revelation. He revealed God to man ; He revealed man to 
himself. He reveals also the purpose of God, i. e., the king- 
dom of God. He gives the supreme revelation of what man 
should be. He gives the contrast between the ideal and that 
which actually exists. As Prophet, Jesus uncovers the real 
meaning and significance in past revelation. 

A priest is one who represents his fellows before God and 
mediates their communion with him. As Priest, Jesus performs 
this part in the atonement. The prophet gives revelation from 
God ; the priest is the one through whom right relations 
between man and God are brought about. The word priest 
may be used in a double sense: (1) ceremonial; (2) moral 
and spiritual. It is in the latter, the wider sense, that we speak 
of Christ as Priest. He is our spiritual approach to God. 

The priestly figure has always been associated with the 
death of Christ. He held His own death as necessary for man's 
redemption. It is here that the question of atonement has been 
centered. The word atonement has been used in two senses: 
(1) as synonymous with reconciliation; (2) as the satisfaction 



196 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

which makes reconciliation possible. In other words, it has 
been taken as salvation itself, or more properly, as a condition 
which makes salvation possible. In historic theology the 
"satisfaction" which Christ made was commonly associated 
with His death; and later it also included His life and service. 
Of the four historical interpretations of Christ's death — viz., 
(1) a ransom to Satan; (2) a gift to God; (3) a punishment 
for sin ; (4) a moral influence, the sacrificial figure holds a 
most prominent place. 

By atonement we mean then that transaction of Christ's by 
which the estrangement between man and God, due to sin, has 
been overcome. The central event in this transaction was the 
death of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, on calvary. 

Objections Answered 

There are some forms of modern thought which deny the 
above Christian view of the atonement. Among the leading ones 
of these forms of thought is Monism, — Objective Idealism. 
According to this view God and substance are one. It denies 
that man is separated from God or estranged from Him, and 
on this ground refuses to admit the necessity of the atonement. 
But this objection may be easily answered. The Word of God 
repeatedly proclaims the universal sinfulness of man. Eccl. 
7 :20. Rom. 3 :23, etc. Again, the universal acknowledgement 
of all men to the disappointments, unrest, and dissatisfaction 
which come to them without any experimental knowledge of 
the atonement is evidence against the monist. And finally, is 
it not a fact that every advantage, discovery or invention of 
man has in most or every case been used to add to the troubles 
and tortures of men on the earth? If man is not estranged 
from God why all these sorrows and troubles? 

But one of the wide-spread views is that the atonement is 
ethically impossible. This form of thought teaches that the 
Christian conception of the atonement is immoral. To save a 
person from the results of his own wrong doings by causing 
another who is innocent to suffer we are advised is gross 
immorality. 



ATONEMENT 197 

But to this we need only reply that the principle of 
vicarious suffering, the just suffering for the unjust, is by no 
means new or peculiar to the divine plan of salvation. It is 
only one of the common principles in force every day in state, 
home, and community. The innocent are bearing the results of 
the sins of the guilty. The Christian plan of the atonement is 
in perfect harmony with the laws of our own physical life. If 
one member of the body violates law, the other members suffer 
with and for the guilty. The woman to become a mother must 
suffer. "He shall see the travail of His soul, and shall be 
satisfied," is only the vicarious suffering as known in the 
physical world carried over into the divine. Vicarious suffering- 
is not immoral or unreasonable ; it is only natural and the 
thing we may naturally expect. 

But to turn to the Christian view of the atonement we 
shall need to observe 

The Condition of Man away from God 

1. All are sinners. "For all have sinned, and come 
short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23), "For there is not a 
just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." (Eccl. 
7:20). "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, 
and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faith- 
ful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all 
unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make 
him a liar, and his word is not in us" (I Jno. 1:8-10). From 
these and other scriptures it is clear that sin is universal; that 
every man in sin is estranged from God, and needs to be 
reconciled and placed on friendly terms with Him. The soul 
needs to be satisfied in its quest for the Infinite. In other 
words, there is need of atonement for sin ; a covering must 
be provided. 

2. All are under the curse. "For as many as are of the 
works of the law are under the curse : for it is written, 
Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are 
written in the book of the law to do them" (Gal. 3:10). No 



198 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

man has ever kept all the things written in the law and as a 
result the curse of the law is upon all men. 

3. All are under judgment. "Now we know that what 
things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under 
the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world 
may be brought under the judgment of God" (Rom. 3:19, R. 
V.). There is no escape for any man. All are subject to the 
judgment of God. 

4. All are under the power of the devil. "He that 
committeth sin is of the devil ; for the devil sinneth from the 
beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, 
that he might destroy the works of the devil .... In this the 
children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: 
whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he 
that loveth not his brother" (I Jno. 3:8, 10). The father of 
the sinner is the devil, and he holds power over all his children. 

5. All are in darkness. "Having the understanding 
darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the 
ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their 
heart" (Eph. 4:18). There is no darkness so great as that 
spiritual darknes's which is upon every man* away from God. 

6. All are desperately wicked. "The heart is deceitful 
above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it" 
(Jer. 17:9)? None but God is able to determine how wicked 
sin really is and how great the offence of sin is against himself. 

7. All are corrupted by sin and slaves to it. "And God 
saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and 
that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only 
evil continually" (Gen. 6:5). "And God looked upon the 
earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted 
his way upon the earth" (Gen. 6:12). "And you hath he 
quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1. 
See also Rom. 7.). The fruits of sin and unrighteousness 
have always been corruption. Sin has more slaves than any 
other master. Let the sinner attempt to use the liberty he 



ATONEMENT 199 

supposes he has, and he will awake to the terrible binding 
and enslaving power over him. 

8. All are helpless. ''Without me ye can do nothing" 
(Jno. 15:5). Being a sinner, under the curse, under judgment 
of God, under the power of the devil, in darkness, corrupted, 
and slaves to sin will naturally place man in a most helpless 
condition. This actual condition of man away from God has 
demanded the atonement plan. 

The Need and Purpose of the Atonement 

1. The Need. — "Who his own self bare our sins in his 
own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live 
unto righteousness : by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye 
were as sheep going astray ; but are now returned unto the 
Shepherd and Bishop of your souls" (I Pet. 2:24. 25). Per- 
haps the great need of the atonement arises from the fact that 
men have gone astray. Men have gone away from God and 
become estranged. The Greek word "planaomai" is used four 
times in the New Testament (Matt. 18:12, 13, I Pet. 2:25; 
II Pet. 2:15), and in each case means "to go astray" in the 
sense of one wandering about with no fixed destination. It 
carries the idea of one wandering who has been deceived. 
(Cf. Isa. 53:6.) 

2- The Purpose. — Using again the reference, I Pet. 
2:24, also 3:18: "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, 
the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being 
put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit," we have 
the purpose of the atonement; viz., (1) that we should be 
dead to sin; (2) that we should live unto righteousness; and 
(3) to bring us to God. Thus it is clear that reconciliation is 
not a matter of relation to law or government, but it is a 
matter of right relations between God and man. "The thing 
that Christ sought was, to bring morally separated persons 
together in the right relation." — Clarke. "To bring us to God" 
was the purpose, for Peter, of the atonement. 



200 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

How Accomplished 

As stated above, the how of the atonement is not fully 
explained in Scripture. The great thing in which we are 
concerned is the fact that atonement has been accomplished 
and that ■ we may know and experience the results. Whether 
we can fully explain the how of the question matters very 
little. But there are several views which we do well to observe. 

1. The Socinian View. — This view of the atonement 
claims that the saving work of Christ consists in the effect 
produced upon our personal character and conduct. But this 
view clearly denies the one great fact that His death is the 
ground of pardon. If Christ's work in reconciliation consists 
only in producing a certain effect on human conduct, then His 
death can not be the ground of pardon : and this the Scripture 
clearly teaches. 

2. The Humanitarian View. — This view claims that 
Christ was a mere man; that He taught and practiced pure 
morality and that He met death in the attempt to overthrow a 
false system. Again, others claim that Jesus was a creature, 
yet He stood above every other creature ; that He existed 
before He was incarnated ; that He came to bear God's 
message ; to disclose the doctrine of immortality and to be an 
example of the spotless life. His death was that of a hero. 
Still others believe in the divinity of Christ but believe that 
His saving influence consists in supplying us with new motives 
for better living. 

Thus these views, which are all different forms of the 
Socinian view, assume: (1) that God will pardon men on 
condition of repentance and reformation; (2) that salvation 
and good works are identical and they make no provision for 
deliverance from the bondage of sin. The Socinian views give 
no explanation of the fact that salvation is so frequently 
referred to the death of Christ. 

These views are all misleading and untrustworthy for the 
simple reason that they are in conflict with the Bible on — 

3. The Sacrificial View.— In the lisfht of the Old Testa- 



ATONEMENT 201 

ment, the ceremonial sacrifices, which so inevitably point to- 
ward the death of Christ, we must accept the sacrificial terms, 
"Which the inspired writers have applied to the death of 
Christ, as used properly and must be understood literally. 
For what was the expiatory sacrifice under the law but the 
offering of the life of an innocent creature in the place of 
the guilty, and that in order to obtain for the latter exemption 
from guilt? And was not the death of Christ as literally an 
offering of Himself 'The just for the unjust,' that 'we might 

not perish ?' Indeed, 'The offering of the body of Jesus 

Christ once for all' is the only true sacrifice, of which the 
Levitical sacrifices were but the appointed types, and by which 
they are to be interpreted." — Wakefield. 

However difficult it may be to explain, there is nothing in 
the sacrifice of the Christ, the death of a just person for an 
unjust, which is contrary to reason and every-day experience. 
It is the only view in the light of Scripture and reason which 
we can accept that the atonement has been accomplished 
through the death of Christ. The proofs of this view may be 
summarized in the following arguments : 

A. That Man's Salvation is so Frequently and 
Constantly Referred to His Death 

"He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised 
for our iniquities : the chastisement of our peace was upon 
him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isa. 53:5). "And 
He took bread, and gave thanks, and break it, and gave unto 
them, saying, This is my body which is given for you : this do 
in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, 
saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is 
shed for you" (Luke 22:19, 20). "In whom we have redemp- 
tion through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to 
the riches of his grace" (Eph. 1:7). "For if, when we were 
enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, 
much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life" 
(Rom. 5:10). 



202 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

In the light of these and numerous other references it 
must be clear to the most superficial reader that the death, the 
offering of Christ, was necessary for man's salvation. The 
words of Jesus give evidence that He Himself believed that 
His death was a part of the divine plan. See Mark 8:31. 
He certainly meant what He said in the words : "I lay down 
my life for the sheep" (Jno. 10:15). There is seldom, if ever, 
any reference made to the atonement or man's salvation with-, 
out direct or indirect reference to the death of Christ. Jesus 
Himself declared at the last supper that His death was a 
sacrifice, and that it would serve as the ratification of the New 
Covenant, just as did the sacrifice of Moses ratify the Old. 
"In declaring His own death to be the sacrifice of the New 
Covenant, (Jesus) regarded that death as a valuable and well- 
pleasing offering or service to God, whereby the new and 
perfect relation of fellowship and blessing between God and 
man, denoted in the conception of the kingdom of God, would 
be brought to an established condition." — Wendt. 

Hence to teach that man needs no reconciliation on the 
grounds that he is not estranged from God is only another way 
of denying the necessity of the offering of Christ. To teach 
that the sacrificial view of the atonement is immoral, in that 
it causes the innocent to suffer instead of the guilty, is not only 
to ignore the entire divine plan, but is also to deny the very 
laws of nature and of the social world. Vicarious suffering is 
found and necessarily exists in every department of life. 
B. The Scriptural Teaching that Christ Redeemed Us 

This argument divides itself into four different branches: 

1. The Biblical teaching that we are redeemed by His 
Blood. "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed 

with corruptible things, as silver and gold But 

with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without 
blemish' and without spot" (I Pet. 1:18, 19). "Thou art 
worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for 
thou wast slain, -and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood" 
(Rev. 5:9). If the blood of Christ has nothing to do with 



ATONEMENT 203 

the salvation of man, then what explanation can be given for 
the above Scriptures? Some explanation must be given for 
these and similar passages. They can not be eradicated from 
the Word. They certainly speak in clear and definite tones. 
In the sacrifices of the Levitical law the life of the animal was 
offered; the blood was shed. If these offerings and sacrifices 
are a shadow of things to come, then we must certainly accept 
the sacrificial view of the atonement that we have been 
ledeemed through the life and blood of Christ. 

2. The Biblical teaching that we have been bought 
with a price. "For ye are bought with a price" (I Cor. 
6:20). The salvation of man has cost something. Our atone- 
ment has cost the greatest thing in heaven, even Christ. The 
word "redeem" itself means, "To free ; to be freed ; to acquire 
at the forum; to loose by a price." Man whom we have seen 
in sin, in darkness and slavery, needs deliverance. This 
deliverance has been obtained through redemption ; man has 
been bought with a price, and this price is the life and death 
of the Christ. 

3. The Biblical teaching on the "Ransom." "Even the 
Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, 
and to give his life a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28 — also 
Mark 10:45). "Who gave himself a ransom for all, the 
testimony to be borne in its own times" (I Tim. 2:6, R. V.). 
The word "ransom" in the last quoted reference is taken from 
the Greek "antilutron," and means, "a corresponding price.'' 
If Christ gave a "corresponding" price when He gave Himself 
then certainly He redeemed more in man than his lost human 
nature. Who can believe that Christ's life and death is a 
corresponding price with a merely human nature ! No, Christ 
redeemed the soul, the immortal part of man, when He paid 
the price. In the words of Christ Himself this ransom, price, 
was His own life and death. Paul agrees perfectly with Christ 
on this point. The ransom substantiates the sacrificial view of 
the atonement. 

4- The Biblical teaching that man is saved by His life. 



204 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

''For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by 
the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall 
be saved by His life" (Rom. 5:10). There is danger of two 
extremes on the question of the atonement. Some will take 
the death of the Christ alone and exclusive of His life as the 
means of man's salvation. Others will take His life exclusive 
of His death. Both are wrong. His life and death go together 
in the redemption of man. Reconciliation comes through the 
death of His Son; but we are saved through His life- and 
this is as great an element in man's salvation as is the death of 
Christ. We need both His death and His life. 

C. The Scriptural Teaching on Christ as ■ Priest 
"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to 
come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with 
hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood 
of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once 
into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an 
heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of 
the flesh : how much more shall the blood of Christ, who 
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, 
purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living 
God" (Heb. 9:11-14). In this passage we have the culmina- 
tion of all the sacrificial laws of the Old Testament. All that 
has gone before have been but types and shadows ; their 
fulfilment has come in the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ 
Himself in the offering of His own blood in the tabernacle 
above. If the offering of bulls and goats were effective in the 
cleansing of men under the law, how much more the blood of 
Christ under grace ! 

D. The Fact that Christ is Called a Sacrifice 
This argument finds its development under four different 

heads : 

1. He was offered to bear the sins of many. "So Christ 

was once offered to bear the sins of many" (Heb. 9:28), "For 






ATONEMENT 205 

such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undented, 
separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens ; who 
needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, 
first for his own sins, and then for the people's : for this he 
did once, when he offered up himself" (Heb. 7:26, 27). 
Perhaps there is no point in the entire Scripture more clear 
than that Christ has offered Himself to bear the sin of the 
world. He is represented as a sacrifice, and we can not go 
wrong when we accept the sacrificial view of His death and 
atonement. All this work of Christ's can not be thrown away 
as unnecessary; but this is what the humanitarian does. 

2. He is the propitiation for our sins. "And He is the 
propitiation for our sins .... also for the sins of the whole 
world .... Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he 
loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" 
(I Jno. 2:2; 4:10). "Whom God hath set forth to be a 
propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare His right- 
eousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the 
forbearance of God" (Rom. 3:25). 

The word ''propitiation'' is used by both John and Paul, 
and is used not to represent the work of Christ, but it is 
applied to Christ Himself. The word comes from the Greek 
"Hilasmos," and means, "What appears," and is used only in 
the above cases. The word has a history through early Old 
Testament times and in the religions of the world. The 
scriptural definition of the word can best be taken from Paul's 
use of it in Rom. 3:25, where it means that God has set Christ 
forth, the propitiation, caused to appear, or exhibits the 
righteousness of God and the sinfulness of man. But these 
exhibitions have been very limited. It was not until Christ 
was set forth that a true and complete propitiation was made. 
Through the life and death of Christ God has given full 
expression to the great truth that by voluntary and continual 
sin-bearing He is doing all possible for the saving of men. 
It has been by the deliberate act of God that Christ has been 
made a propitiation. Christ bearing the sin of the world fully 



206 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

satisfies God and also fully exhibits His love for men. He has 
become the real, and the only real, sacrifice for sin. 

3. He was made sin for us. "For he hath made Him 
to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the 
righteousness of God in Him" (II Cor. 5:21). "Christ hath 
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for 
us" (Gal. 3:13). When Aaron, the high priest, made atone- 
ment for the people (Lev. 16) in the killing of the goat as a 
sin-offering, or in laying his hands on the head of the living 
goat and confessing the sins of the people and sending the 
goat away, these innocent animals were practically made sin 
for the people. It was so with the sacrifice of Christ. He was 
one who knew not sin, who had never transgressed, and yet 
the sin of the world was laid upon him ; He was made sin 
for us and in this He became our sacrifice. 

4. He bore our sins in His body on the tree. "Who 
his own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that 
we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness'' (I Pet. 
2:24). As the high . priest under the law offered the sin- 
offering upon the altar, so the Christ was offered upon the 
cross. Upon His head was placed the iniquity of us all. 

Nature and Extent of the Atonement 

Christian thought on the nature of the atonement has 
passed through a number of different stages since the Gospels 
have been written. That is, during the different periods of the 
history of the Church men have arisen who advocated different 
theories concerning the nature of the atonement. There is no 
need, for the present purpose, of giving a lengthy discussion of 
these different stages, but a glimpse at each will be an aid in 
arriving at the true conception. 

The earlier Christian literature and theologies made little, 
if any. attempt to systematize or explain the exact nature of 
the atonement. The great thing in which the earlier writers 
were interested was the fact of the atonement and the ex- 
perience resulting from it. The Scriptures were quoted on the 



ATONEMENT 207 

point, but little comment or explanation was given concerning 
the' Jwic of the atonement. 

However, during the first thousand years of the Christian 
dispensation the theory gradually grew up that Christ accom- 
plished the atonement and delivered men from bondage and 
slavery to sin by offering a ransom on their behalf to Satan 
who was acting as lord over them. 

A little later the theory arose that Christ paid the ransom 
not to Satan but to God, and thus accomplished man's deliver- 
ance. The argument was that sin was such a great debt and 
that some satisfaction must be made to God against whom sin 
had been committed. This debt man owed to God, but man 
was unable to pay it ; hence it became necessary for God Him- 
self to become man and assume the debt. Thus it came that 
Christ became man, and thus in man's stead, made full satis- 
faction to God. Man's obligation to God was looked upon in 
terms of a debt. 

About the 15th and 16th centuries, however, the nature of 
the atonement took the form more fully of criminal and civil 
law. According to this type of thought satisfaction for sin 
was made to God on the grounds of punishment. Upon Christ 
was placed all the punishments of all men and in His death 
and suffering He suffered the very torments of hell. In other 
words, Christ took the actual place of the sinner and suffered 
hell for him and, thus satisfying divine justice ; penal justice 
must now release all claims. 

Rut this view leaves no room for forgiveness, for the 
simple reason that sin which is punished needs no forgiveness. 
This will lead to universalism. And besides it makes Christ 
our "substitute" only when He was and is also our "repre- 
sentative." 

Then following this view arose the governmental theory, 
which takes just the opposite position. It claims that Christ 
did not suffer and endure the punishments for the sins of men, 
but that He did endure sufficient suffering to satisfy God and 



208 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

would be accepted as a substitute for punishment. This in 
part removed the difficulty in the criminal theory. 

And lastly, following all these views there arose the moral 
influence theory with numerous other views. According to the 
moral influence theory sinful men would be brought to repent- 
ance and their love for God would be gained. But different 
ages and men differed widely on this question. And it is not 
a thing of greatest certainty whether the New Testament has 
made any effort to fully explain the nature of the atonement 
in any definite and complete way. Who got the ransom, Satan 
or God? is a question which Christ made no attempt to answer* 
It need not be answered. It is evident, however, that the 
ransom price was the blood of Christ; and that figuratively 
speaking the blood was carried to heaven. (See Heb. 9 :1 If .) 
Man was redeemed from a condition rather than from a 
person. Sin is the result of a violation of God's law and it is 
to God and this law that atonement must be made. 

But there are several things concerning the atonement 
which we may observe with quite a degree of certainty. To 
these I shall now proceed. 

1. The Nature of Christ's Death. — "All we like sheep 
have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; 
and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all .... Yet 
it pleased the Lord to bruise Him ; he hath put him to grief : 
when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see 
his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the 
Lord shall prosper in his hand .... because he hath poured 
out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the 
transgressors" (Isa. 53:6, 10, 12). "Even as the Son of man 
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give 
his life a ransom for many'' (Matt. 20:28). "I am the good 
shepherd : the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep" 
([no. 10:11). "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the 
law, being made a curse for us " (Gal. 3:13). "Whom God 
hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to 
declare His righteousness for the remission of sins'' (Rom. 



ATONEMENT 209 

3:25). "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no 
sin" (II Cor. 5:21). "But if we walk in the light, as he is in 
the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood 
of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (I Jno. 1:7). 
From all these and other references we may rightly 
conclude that the atonement has been accomplished not merely 
through a "perfect man," as some would have it, but through 
the divine Son of God ; not only through the offering of His 
human body, but through the offering of His soul which was 
poured out unto death. We may further conclude that the 
death of Christ in its nature was: 

a. Penal. — Penal because of guilt. His death was not 
the death of a hero primarily, though He was the greatest of 
heroes. Neither was it a result of a series of circumstances 
which could not be avoided. His death was a result of His 
own choice, for He clearly said, "I lay down my life, no man 
taketh it from me." The offering of His soul was for purposes 
penal; because of sin and guilt of men. 

b. Vicarious. — The just dying for the unjust. The 
Levitical law 1 teaches clearly that its offerings were penal, 
vicarious and expiatory. Christ Himself knew no sin, but was 
made sin for us. If He endured the penalty, and at the same 
time was a guiltless man, then, it is evident that He endured 
it for some other. And thus His death becomes vicarious, the 
just dying for the unjust. 

c. Expiatory. — Cleansing. The first epistle of John 
makes it clear that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from 
all sin. Under the levitical law men were accepted as cleansed 
through the blood of some animal. But the real cleansing 
comes only through the blood of Christ. 

2. The Extent of the Atonement. — On this question 
again we meet with two extremes. There are those who hold 
that the atonement is available to only a certain portion of the 
human family; and again others who advocate that the human 
race will be universally saved. The first of these extreme 
views is held, or at least has been held, by the Calvinists. 



i 



210 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

According to John Calvin, who accepted the Augustinian 
view, the atonement was "sufficient for all, but "efficacious" 
only for the "elect." (Hodge Vol. II, p, 546.) The theory is 
that God first redeems all and then "selects" some. "In the 
Westminster Confession of Faith, which is the standard of 
nearly all the Calvinistic churches both in Europe and Amer- 
ica, the same doctrine is taught . . . Thus, 'God hath appointed 
the elect unto glory, so hath He, by the eternal and most free 
purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto. 
Wherefore they who are elected being fallen in Adam, are 
redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ 
by His spirit working in due season; are justified, adopted, 
sanctified, and kept by His power through faith unto salvation. 
Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, 
justified, adopted, sanctified and saved, but the elect only/ " 
(Wakefield Theol. p. 372f.) But the inadequacy of this view 
we shall note later. 

The second of the two extremes is that of universalism. 
This theory holds that no man will be lost ; that the atonement 
means that men will be universally saved; that "Christ died 
once for ALL," and hence it is not possible for one soul to be 
lest. The universalist places the emphasis on the word "all," 
when it should be on the word "once." The Scriptures teach 
that Christ died ONCE, not twice, and that He died for all 
men. The fact that He died for all is no argument that all 
will be saved. A man may be redeemed, as all men are, and 
yet refuse or neglect to accept his redemption. He would still 
be a lost man, though redeemed. 

To argue, as does the universalist, that one of three things 
God must do: that either (1) He can save all men but will not; 
or (2) He would save all men and can not; or (3) He can 
and will save all men, is neither sound logic nor theology. To 
admit the first proposition would make God a bad God. To 
admit the second, would make Him a good but weak God. 
Then to conclude that the third proposition is the only rational 
conclusion is neither (long justice to the facts nor taking into 



ATONEMENT 211 

account the free will of men, a field in which God exercises no 
compulsory authority and a field which He has surrendered 
wholly to men. 

But we must proceed at once to the Scriptural view of the 
extent of the atonement. This view may be stated in a single 
proposition ; viz., That atonement has been provided for all 
men. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only 
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not 
perish, but have everlasting life" (Jno. 3:16). "Go ye there- 
fore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 28: 
19). "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than 
the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and 
honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for 
every man" (Heb. 2:9). "Who gave himself a ransom for all" 
(I Tim. 2:6). 

From these references it is evident that Christ has made 
atonement for ALL, not merely for a select few; and He has 
made it possible for all as well. The universality of the atone- 
ment is further established from the following propositions : 

a. That the Scriptures speak of the atonement in uni- 
versal terms, and showing God's desire to have all men saved. 
Ezek. 33:11. 

b. That all men everywhere have been called to repent- 
ance. Acts 17 :30f. 

c. That if atonement is not universal then God has no 
right to make all men responsible for repentance and faith. 
Luke 13:3; Mark 11:22. 

d. That the Gospel has been ordered proclaimed to all 
the world. Matt. 24:14 and 28:19f. 

e. And finally, that if men fail to obtain salvation it is 
their own fault and not God's. (Ezek. 18:4) 

3. Conditions on which Atonement may be Received — 
While it is evident that atonement has been provided and is 
accessible to all, yet there are certain conditions which must 
first be met. 



212 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

a. Repentance and turning from sin to God. — There 
seems to be no end of commandments and urgings for men to 
repent and turn from sin. It is the first and great condition 
for salvation on the part of man. 

b. Pardon and acceptance of God when man repents and 
forsakes sin. When these two conditions are met, then results 
that happy union and fellowship between man and God and 
the atonement becomes an effective reality in human life. 

Conclusion 

1. By atonement we mean that transaction in the life and 
death of Christ by which the estrangement between man and 
God has been overcome. We mean that a "covering" has been 
provided in Christ for the sins of all men. 

2. The giver of the atonement is Christ, considered as 
the ideal man as well as divine Savior, the representative at 
the throne and substitute on the cross for humanity. 

3. The recipient of the atonement price is God, con- 
sidered not as Judge or Governor, but as Father. The cost of 
the atonement was the suffering and death of Christ. 

4. The need of the atonement arises from the fact that 
all men have gone wrong and are estranged from God. 

5. The nature of the death of Christ was penal, vicarious, 
and expiatory. 

6. The extent of the atonement is to all men, not to a 
select few only. 

7. The atonement is available only through faith, re- 
pentance, and turning from sin unto God. In other words, the 
atonement becomes effective by moral means through its appro- 
priation of faith and love and its transforming effects on the 
lives of men. 



CHAPTER III 
FAITH 

Have faith in God. — Mark 11:22. 

In the present chapter we shall define what we mean by 
faith. Then we shall proceed to consider the objects of faith; 
the two kinds of faith — dead and living; the results of a faith- 
less life; the works of faith and how faith may be obtained. 

Definition 

The word "faith" in the Hebrew comes from the word 
"emun," and means "faithfulness," "steadiness." ' (See Deut. 
32:20.) The word "emunah" is also used, and means "sta- 
bility'' (Hab. 2:4). The words "hope" and "faith" are not 
exactly synonymous. The word "hope" comes from the Greek 
"elpis," while the word "faith" in Greek comes from the word 
"pistis"' and means "faithfulness," "steadiness." The word 
for faith occurs in Matt. 8:10; 9:2, 22, 29, etc., and is used 
about two hundred and fifty times in the New Testament. 

Faith, then, in the New Testament, comes to mean, 
"belief," "firm persuasion of the truth of anything." It 
implies confidence, assurance, trust. It is a firm assurance of 
things hoped for. It is a definite laying hold of things not 
seen. It is a firm belief in the fulfillment of the promises of 
God in the face of circumstances which seem most adverse to 
their fulfillment. 

Christian faith is not walking in the dark, or believing 
things for which we have no evidence. Should faith be 
objected to by the scientist on the grounds ' that it is not 
scientific I would reply that Christian faith is scientific; as 
fully scientific as any proposition in chemistry, physics, or 
mathematics. It carries more evidence and is more truly 



214 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

scientific than the atomic theory of the universe, a theory 
which is accepted without question by all scientists. It takes, 
more faith to be a scientist , than it does to be a Christian ; 
the scientist must believe more hard things, more unproved 
things in his field than is required of any man in Christianity. 
The Christian faith is thoroughly scientific and implies the 
greatest of evidence for all we are required to believe. It is 
in a strict sense "the substance of things hoped for, the 
evidence of things not seen." 

The Objects of Christian Faith 
It is needful that we decide the question, just what should 
be the objects of our faith? In other words, in what, or in 
whom should men have faith? There, is not a soul on earth 
who does not have faith in something or in somebody. Some 
men have all faith in themselves; others have no faith in 
themselves ; perhaps both are in the extreme. Some men have 
all faith in other individuals ; some have no faith whatever in 
others. Again both are extreme. Some men have faith in 
gods of wood, stone, or other material. Some men have faith 
in the tooth of some wild animal, or the hair of some ancestor. 
The great question is, in what, or in whom can men safely 
place their faith and hope for valuable returns? Is there 
anything in which men may place faith and confidence and 
not be sorely disappointed one day? To this question we may 
safely answer, Yes, most emphatically. The great objects of 
our faith should be : — 

1. God.— "Have faith in God" (Mark 11:22). "Let not 
your heart be troubled : ye believe in God, believe also in me" 
(Jno. 14:1). Having faith in God is not a matter of option 
with men ; it is a moral obligation. Men are under moral 
obligation to be honest, to be clean in thought and word ; 
under moral obligation to avoid stealing and murder; and 
they are equally under moral obligation to have faith in God. 
One is as much a command as the other. To look upon faith 
in God only as a privilege which men may take at option is as 
false as looking upon refusal to murder only as optional. 



FAITH 215 

Men are under' moral obligation not to kill, and they are under 
moral obligation to have faith in God. 

2. Christ. — "Jesus answered and said unto them, This 
is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath 
sent" (Jno. 6:29). "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to 
the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord 
Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). It is God's intention that men 
believe in Him ; it is equally His intention that men believe in 
Christ whom He sent. When the people asked Christ what 
they might do to work the works of God, Jesus replied, "This 
is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath 
sent." It was Paul's message to both Jews and Greeks that 
they should repent toward God and that they should exercise 
faith toward Jesus Christ. 

3. The Gospel. — "Repent ye, and believe the Gospel" 
(Mark 1 :15). God and Christ demand our faith. The 
Gospel is the glad tidings of joy from heaven and men are 
under obligation to have faith in the same. Faith in the 
Gospel of Christ is not beyond the possibility of any sane man. 
The Gospel is no more a mystery than many other things 
which men believe without question. Men sometimes tell us 
that they have faith in God but not in Christ or His Gospel, 
but this is a plain contradiction. To have faith in God means 
having faith in Christ; and to have faith in Christ means 
having faith in His Gospel. To have faith in the Gospel means 
having faith in God and Christ. It is not possible to have 
faith in one and not the rest. To believe one is to believe all. 
To deny one means to deny all. 

Two Kinds of Faith 

Men are deceived at times, not being conscious of the 
fact that they may have a form of faith but that it is not a 
faith that saves ; they have a faith which does nothing ; in 
other words it is a 

1. Dead Faith.— (Read Jas. 2:14-20.) James makes it 
very clear that works follow a saving faith, a living faith. 



216 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

To say that " I believe" and yet fail to do, is dead faith. The 
devils believe and tremble. But believing is not necessarily 
faith. It is one element in faith, but in itself it is not faith. 
Cold, intellectual belief and faith are vastly different things. 
Faith includes belief, but belief does not always include faith. 
When belief in Christ expresses itself in divine service then it 
is faith, not before. 

2. Saving, or living Faith. — There are several things 
which demand our attention at this point. To get in mind 
clearly what is meant by "living faith" we should observe : 

a. The nature and manifestation of living faith. If we 
can discover the nature and methods of manifestation of 
saving faith we will have little difficulty in determining a 
saving faith. On this point we may say : 

(1) That saving faith pre-requires the objects of faith. 
"And when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou 
believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, 
Lord, that I might believe on him" (Jno. 9:35, 36)? It is not 
possible for men to have Christian faith unless they know the 
objects or persons of faith. Men must know that there is a 
God, a Christ, and a Gospel before they can have faith in them. 

(2) By nature saving faith produces action. "Men and 
brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37) was the question of 
penitent men on the day of Pentecost. They knew that there 
was something to do, not only something to believe. Too 
many people today are deceiving themselves on a do-nothing- 
faith. Men must remember that a living faith produces action. 
There is something to be actually done. Matt. 7:21. It is not 
the man who says : "Lord, Lord" who will be saved, but he 
that docth the will of the Father. To say that we love Him 
and refuse to keep His commandments proves our faith vain 
and dead. 

(3) Saving faith may appear in different degrees. (Read 
Rom. 14:1; Matt. 6:30;' 8:10; Luke 17:5; II Thes. 1:3.) 
Paul admits that some men are "weak in the faith." Special 
care must be given to such. Christ recognized the fact that 



FAITH 217 

some were of "little faith." He did not condemn them, only 
takes note of the fact that such is the case. Again, He 
acknowledged that some men had "great faith;" the centurion, 
for example. The disciples confessed that they did not have • 
the amount of faith which was their privilege to possess, so 
they requested Christ to "increase" their faith. Paul speaking 
to the brethren at Thessalonica states that their faith "grow- 
eth" exceedingly. These are but few of the many instances in 
which the different degrees of faith are illustrated. Faith 
being based on evidence, we can readily see why some have 
more faith than others. To some, greater evidence has come ; 
to others, less. But we shall note more fully the fact that, 
b. . Saving faith does something. (Read Heb. 11, Jas. 
2:14f; Matt. 7:21.) From these and numerous passages we 
observe that living faith actually does something. We shall 
now note more in detail what faith does : 

(1) It believes with the heart. "That if thou shalt con- 
fess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine 
heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be 
saved" (Rom. 10:9). Living faith is not only an intellectual 
matter, but it is also a heart affair. Men who have a living 
faith believe in • God in the depth of their soul. It is a heart, 
not only lip, belief. 

(2) It calls upon Christ. (Read Rom. 10:13-15.) God's 
order is first to have one sent to preach; second, to have one 
to hear ; third, those who hear have faith ; and fourth, those 
who have faith call upon Him. So when faith is really living 
it will call upon God just as naturally as a living child calls 
upon its parents. 

(3) It confesses Christ. The faith that lives and saves 
is the faith which bears its fruit in confession of Christ. "If 
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus ....," then 
you have salvation. 

(4) It receives Christ. "But as many as received Him, 
to them gave he power to become the sons of God" (Jno. 
1:12). What more can any sinner do? He believes with the 



218 



BIBLE DOCTRINE 



heart through faith ; he calls on Christ through faith ; he 
confesses Christ through faith; and finally, he receives Him as 
his own personal Savior by believing on His name. These are 
the four leading steps unto salvation and they are' the things 
which living faith really does. 

c. Elements of saving faith. There are at least five 
special elements which go to make up a living faith which 
should be noted somewhat in detail. On this point it may be 
said: 

(1) That saving faith is founded on the Word of God. 
(Read Rom. 10:14, 17; Jno. 17:20; 20:30, 31.) The Word of 
God preached comes to be the foundation of it all. A faith 
established on any other foundation than the revealed Word 
will fail. Jesus in the intercessory prayer prayed for men 
today that they might believe on Him through the words of 
the apostles, and their words are the Gospel, the Word of God. 
The key verse to the Gospel of John is 20:31. The entire 
Gospel was written that men might believe that Jesus is the 
Christ the Son of God. 

(2) That saving faith accepts the Gospel plan of salva- 
tion. There was no question in the mind of the eunuch (Acts 
8:37), he believed the entire plan of salvation as found in the 
Scriptures. With him there were no "if s" or "ands" about it. 
He accepted the Gospel plan and was saved. And this is 
exactly what living faith will do. Accepting the entire plan of 
salvation is an indispensable element in Christian faith. 

(3) That saving faith is an act of the will. "If any man 
will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, 
and follow me." (Matt. 16:24) "If any man will do his will, 
he shall know of the doctrine" (Jno. 7:17). "Whosoever will, 
let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22:17). In the 
mind of Christ it all depended upon the will of men whether 
or not they would follow and believe on Him. If a man was 
willing, or willed to do His will, he should know the truth. 
The men who have faith are the men who have a "will to 
believe." 



FAITH 219 

(4) That a leading element in saving faith is trust. 
"Though he slay me, yet will I trust him" (Job 13:15). 
With Job it was a matter of trust. Though God would slay 
him, he would still trust Him. If man is not able to solve all 
the mysteries, and they are many, he can trust. In fact, the 
great element in Christian faith is trust. 

(5) That saving faith is more than cold intellect or 
knowledge of the truth. "Thou believest there is one God ; 
thou doest well : the devils also believe, and tremble" ( Jas. 
2:19. See also Mark 5:7). "King Agrippa, believest thou the 
prophets? I know that thou believest" (Acts 25:27)? The 
devils are intelligent; they know the truth, but they are faith- 
less. To know a thing, and to have faith, are two quite 
different things. The devils in the Gadarene man whose name 
was Legion knew ; they understood the truth concerning 
Christ being the Son of God, but they had no faith. King 
Agrippa believed the prophets, but he had no faith in them. 
Knowledge is absolutely necessary before faith can exist ; but 
knowledge itself, without trust, is not faith. 

Results of a Faithless Life 

Every evil brings its own penalty. Every condition brings 
certain results. There are certain serious conditions resulting 
from a faithless life. Some of these evil results are : 

1. No pleasing God. "But without faith it is im- 
possible to please him" (Heb. 11:6). "And he that doubteth 
is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for what- 
soever is not of faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23). The Word is 
clear on this point. No man in sin, or in the faithless life, 
can please God. Whatever is done, if not done in faith, is sin. 

2. No remission of sins. "To him gave all the proph- 
ets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him 
shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:43). "Whom God 
hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to 
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are 
past" (Rom. 3:25). The apostle declares that sins are 



220 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

remitted only through faith in Him. Where there is faith in 
Him there is also remission of sins ; where there is no faith 
there is no remission. 

3. No justification. "Therefore we conclude that a 
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law" (Rom. 
3:28). "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace 
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1). 
Justification comes alone through faith. Being justified by 
faith means that men are at peace with God. 

4. No sanctification. "To open their eyes, and to turn 
them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan 
unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and 
inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in 
me" (Acts 26:18). Sanctification comes alone through faith. 
It is the characteristic of every Christian to be sanctified. 

5. No salvation. "He that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned" 
(Mark 16:16). "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou 
shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). The entire question of salvation 
hangs on the peg of faith. The life of faith is the saved life. 

6. No eternal life. "Whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish, but have eternal life" (Jno. 3:15). "And 
this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which 
seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life" 
(Jno. 6:40). "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth 
on me hath everlasting life" (Jno. 6:47). Sight may do for 
the present life ; but it takes faith to reach the eternal world. 
No faith, no eternal life. 

7. No eternal rest. "For we which have believed do 
enter into rest" (Heb. 4:3). The faithless life knows no rest, 
neither in this nor in the future life. The believer is he who 
enjoys rest. No faith, no rest. There is nothing for which 
man can hope without faith. 

The Work of. Faith 
1. It saves from sin. (Read Jno. 3:16; 1:12; Acts 
8:37; 16:31; Mark 16:16). In practically every case where 



FAITH 221 

reference is made to salvation from sin it is referred directly 
to faith. It is not by works, not by the good deeds of men 
that we are saved from sin; it is not through reformation, but 
through faith in the words and work of Christ. 

2. It heals the sick. ''The prayer of faith shall save 
the sick" (Jas. 5:14, 15). There is no physical healing but 
through divine power. All that men can do is to prepare 
conditions most favorable for healing (and this is their duty), 
God always does the healing. While medicine has its place 
(Prov. 17:22), many cases would be happier with less drugs 
and more faith. 

3. It gives power over the world. "And this is the 
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (I Jno. 
5:4). Christian faith can do what all the armies and navies 
can not do. Men may be able to conquer the world and yet 
not able to conquer themselves. The greatest victory in any 
life is the conquering of the world and self through Christian 
faith. 

4. It is a protection to Christians. "Above all, taking 
the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the 
fiery darts of the wicked" (Eph. 6:16). "But let us, who are 
•of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and 
love" (I Thes. ;, 8). The arrows of the wicked one are 
wounding the souls of men continually. But faith is the 
Christian's shield which will protect before the most determined 
efforts of the wicked. 

5. It guides the Christian. "For we walk by faith, not 
by sight" (II Cor. 5:7). While only a parenthetical expression 
of Paul's, it is a fundamental truth that faith is the sure guide 
through the wilderness of the present life. Our natural sight 
so frequently deceives us ; but the Christian knows that the 
safer method is to walk in faith and trust in Christ. 

6. It destroys exaltation. "Where is boasting then? 
It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay, but by the 
law of faith" (Rom. 3:27). No man has room for boasting. 
Man has failed in all his methods of obtaining righteousness 



222 BIBllE DOCTRINE 

in himself. The man of faith is a humble man; he boasts in 
nothing save the cross of Christ. 

7. It results in peace and joy. (Read again Rom. 5 :1 
and I Pet. 1 :8.) Peace with God is a birthright of every man. 
Though we may have given it for a mess of pottage, yet 
through faith in Christ it may be restored. The man of faith 
is a happy man, a man of joy. 

How is Faith Obtained? 

1. Faith comes by hearing. (Rom. 10:17; Acts 4:4.) 
as noted above, faith in a person or thing is impossible when 
the person or thing is unknown to the individual. Faith comes 
through hearing. When the three thousand believed on the day 
of Pentecost it was upon hearing the Gospel. 

2. Faith is a free gift. (Eph. 2:8; Rom. 12:3) After 
all, everything good which man may possess is but a gift from 
God. God measures out faith to every man to the extent that 
man is willing and able to receive. 

3. Faith comes through prayer. "And the apostles 
said unto the Lord, Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5). "But I 
have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not" (Luke 22:32). 
"I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:24) It was the 
desire of the apostles to believe on Him ; but circumstances 
were such as made believing difficult. When Christ saw the 
danger before Peter He prayed for him that his faith fail not. 
Perhaps it was Peter's courage, and not his faith, which failed 
him in the denial of the Christ. The father who brought his 
son to Jesus for healing believed, but he prayed that his 
unbelief might be exchanged for belief. 

4. Faith is a gift of the Spirit. "To another, faith by 
the same Spirit" (I Cor. 12:9). "But the fruit of the Spirit is 
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith" 
(Gal. 5:22). The coming of the Holy Spirit into a man's life 
means faith in that life. It is a work of the Spirit to produce 
faith. To whatever degree a man may have the Holy Spirit^ 
to that extent he may have faith. 



FAITH 223 

5. Faith comes by looking to the Christ. "Looking 
unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb. 12:2). 
Jesus is presented as the originator of our faith; He is also 
represented as the finisher, or end of our faith. He is the 
first and last object of our faith, and it is in looking to Him 
that we may have faith. 

6. Faith comes by trusting the promises of God. (Rom. 
4:14-20.) It was only through trusting in His promise that 
Abraham could be accepted as a man of faith and accounted as 
a righteous man. Faith comes to every man who will trust His 
promise. 

"HAVE FAITH IN GOD" 



CHAPTER IV 

REPENTANCE 

God .... now commandeth all men everywhere 
to repent. — Acts 17:30. 

It is a common thing in modern times for people to come 
into the Church with very little knowledge of genuine repent- 
ance. When it has been explicitly stated by our Lord, that, 
"Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish," it is certainly 
needful that we determine carefully what He meant by repent- 
ance. For this reason we shall consider first the meaning of 
the term repentance ; then what true repentance is ; the avenues 
of repentance ; the fruits of repentance, and the fruits of 
neglect. 

Definition 

1. The word ''repentance" in the Hebrew is "nacham," 
and means literally : ( 1 ) to be penitent, comforted, or eased 
(See Gen. 6:6, 7; Ex. 13:17; Judg. 21:6, 15, etc.), the word 
being used about forty times in the Old Testament. (2) It 
means to comfort self. Num. 23:19. There is a second word 
in the Hebrew from which the word repentance is taken ; viz,, 
"snub," and means, "to turn back" (I Kings 8:47; Ezek. 4:16 
and 18:30). 

2. The Greek word for repentance is, "metanoeo," and 
means, "To have another mind" (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; Mark 
1:15; Luke 10:13, etc.), used about thirty-five times in the 
New Testament. The Greek word "metanoia," from the same 
root, means "A change of mind" (Matt. 3:8, 11; Mark 1:4, 
etc.), used about twenty-five times in the New Testament. 

3. Repentance, we may safely say then, "Is such a sorrow 
for Mn, or abhorrence of sin, such a change of mind about it, 
as leads the sinner to turn away from it with all his heart." 



REPENTANCE 225 

Repentance is not merely crying because of sin; it is not 
conviction of sin; conviction is only waking up; repentance is 
getting up. Neither is repentance sorrow for sin only; nor 
is it reformation; but it is a radical change of mind, joined 
with the forsaking of all known sin, for Christ's sake. The 
trouble with Esau (Heb. 12:17) was that he found no place 
for repentance; he found no way to change his mind. 

Repentance, Genuine and Evangelical 

1. Elements of Repentance. — There are two leading 
elements which constitute genuine repentance. As noted above, 
some people become exceedingly sorrowful because of sin, but 
this is not repentance. Others make great promises to put 
away sin, but this alone is not repentance. It requires the 
union of both to constitute repentance. 

a. A sincere sorroiv for sin. "For godly sorrow worketh 
repentance to salvation not to be repented of" (II Cor. 7:10). 
The sorrow of the world is a failure, but godly sorrow always 
works repentance. When men become sorry for their sin 
because they have sinned, they are. on a fair way to repentance. 
Many people are sorry, not because they have sinned, but 
because they are found out. This is only a regret for being 
detected, not sorrow for sin. 

b. A forsaking of the ways of sin. "Let the wicked 
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let 
him return unto the Lord" (Isa. 55:7). "Thus saith the Lord 
God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn 
away your faces from all your abominations" (Ezek. 14:6). 
Isaiah was fully aware of the fact that men to be saved must 
forsake sin as well as to be sorry for it. Ezekiel knew that 
repentance meant a turning away from sin and unrighteousness. 
Men must turn their faces from their sinful abominations. 

2. Pre-requisites for Repentance. — There are several 
things which are required before repentance can be really 
experienced. Among these are: 

a. A knowledge of sin. Until a sinner is aware of his 



226 . BIBLE DOCTRINE 

sin he is not likely to repent. Men must know that they have 
actually transgressed the laws of God; that they have rejected 
a loving Savior, and that they are hopelessly lost with nothing 
before them but eternal death. 

b. Sickness of sin. Men must become sick of their ways 
and of themselves before they really repent. So long as they 
love and cherish their sinful ways they will not repent. It is 
the duty of the religious diagnostician to convince sin-diseased 
men that they are sick and are in need of treatment. 

c. Faith in Christ to forgive. (Heb. 11:6.) When men 
learn that they are sinners ; when they become sin-sick, there 
remains only one more condition for repentance: viz., faith in 
Christ to forgive and to pardon. So long as men think that 
God can not pardon them they refuse repentance. Sinners 
must believe that Christ is the rewarder of them that diligently 
seek Him. The reward of repentance is forgiveness. 

3. The Necessity of Repentance. — One would naturally 
think that all men know the need of repentance without 
insisting upon it further. But when, as is true in some places, 
repentance has been practically exchanged for a mild degree of 
reformation or so-called "christian socialism," it becomes 
necessary that evangelical repentance be again proclaimed. 
That repentance is necessary is evident from the fact that — 

a. It was preached by John the Baptist. (Matt. 3:2.) 
John believed that men needed something more than a slight 
psychological alteration; they needed more than reformation. 
They needed to be sincerely sorry for their sin, and with this 
an actual turning away from sin. John the Baptist preached 
repentance, and repentance is the great need of the world 
today. 

b. It was preached by Christ. (Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:15.) 
Jesus, the Son of God certainly knew; and He preached that 
men should repent. He made no exceptions ; all sinners must 
repent or perish. If Christ is not the Son of God, then it 
matters not whether men repent or not ; but if He is the Son 



REPENTANCE 227 

of God, which He is, then the entire salvation of man hangs 
on his repentance. 

c. It zvas preached by the apostles. (Mark 6:12; Acts 
20:21.) When Jesus sent out the twelve they went preaching 
that men should repent, and exercise faith toward Christ. 
Through the entire work of Christ and the apostles there were 
repeated calls to repentance. If men could be saved through 
some mere change of mind, a slight reformation of habits, 
certainly Christ would have known of it. 

d. All men are commanded to repent. (Acts 17:30.) 
Ignorance will not save men today. At one time God looked 
at ignorance with a glance, but not so today. Genuine repent- 
ance alone will bring forgiveness. It is a deception of the 
devil for men to believe that they have hope of salvation 
without repentance. Repentance is not only an optional matter 
or privilege ; it is a moral obligation which every responsible 
soul owes to God. 

e. There is no pardon without. (Acts 2:38; 3:19.) In 
the great sermon on Pentecost, when the three thousand were 
added to the Church, Peter made it perfectly clear that without 
repentance there was no remission of sins. God will not 

, forgive or remit sin of which men do not repent. This is the 
fundamental principle in the unpardonable sin. Mark 3 :29 ; 
I Jno. 5 :16. No sin is unpardonable because of its greatness. 
Blaspheming the Holy Ghost is not in itself an unpardonable 
sin. It is unpardonable, not because God can not, will not 
forgive, but because such sinner does not, will not, repent. 
The sin unto death can be forgiven if repented of; but because 
men refuse to repent, therefore it is sin unto death. Any sin 
unrepented of is sin unto death. 

f. There is no eternal life without. — (Luke 13:3.) With 
Jesus there were no two sides to the question; it was repent 
and live, or refuse repentance and die. Men have their choice ; 
they may do as they please. The divine law is repent and 
receive pardon and live; or refuse to repent and be damned. 

g. There comes a time when repentance is not possible. — 



228 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

(Read Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26-29; 12:17. Matt. 12:31, 32). Ac- 
cording to Hebrews there is a condition into which men may 
come where there is no possibility of renewing them again 
unto repentance. There are those who have repented, have 
tasted of the heavenly gift, and of the powers of the world to 
come, who were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and again 
fallen away and put Christ to open shame ; these, says the 
writer, can not be renewed to repentance. Esau, after know- 
ingly selling his birthright, found no place for repentance ; 
literally, found no way to change his mind. The blasphemer of 
the Holy Ghost has no forgiveness; he finds no way to change 
his mind. And when men can not decide to repent, simply 
because they have sinned so long and determinedly, they have 
then fallen into the place where repentance is not possible. In 
other words, they have fallen into an unpardonable state; 
unpardonable because unrepenting. 

Avenues of Repentance 

1. Through the active will of every soul. (Rev. 22:17.) 
In every case salvation is referred to the active will of the 
individual. "Whosoever will" is the great condition. "We 
will not have this man rule over us," is the attitude of the. 
sinner. "Ye will not come to me," was the reason given by 
Jesus for men's remaining in darkness. He that zvilleth to do 
his will shall know of the doctrine. Jno. 7:17. It is the will 
to repent that brings salvation. 

2. It is a gift of God. "Then hath God also to the 
Gentiles granted repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18). (See 
also Acts 5:30, 31, R. V.) Repentance is a free grant from 
God. To both Jew and Gentile God has given the possibility 
of repentance. God has done His part; the gift has been 
granted ; it only remains for men to accept. 

3. The preached Word. (See Acts 2:37, 38, 41.) It 
was through the preaching of the truth of God that three 
thousand men were led to repentance on Pentecost. When the 
Word of God is clearly brought before the people, when His 



REPENTANCE 229 

Gospel is faithfully preached, it results in conviction and 
repentance. 

4. Through godly sorrow. (II Cor. 7:8-11.) Men 
who are not sorry for their sin because it is sin are not likely 
to repent. Men may be sorry that their sin has been found 
out, but unless they are sorry that they are sinners and that 
they have been unjust toward God they will not repent. It is 
an immutable law of God that godly sorrow brings repentance 
unto salvation. 

5. Through the goodness of God. " not knowing 

that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance" (Rom. 
2:4). It takes a cruel heart to look upon the goodness of God 
and not repent. When men become fully conscious of the fact 
that it is only through a grant of God that they exist and are 
spared to live; that it is only through the goodness of God that 
they enjoy in life what they do; that it is through the good- 
ness of God that they enjoy the promise of the future, when 
men become aware of these things they are naturally led to 
repentance. 

6. Through believing God and His Word. (Read 
Jonah 3:5-10.) It was not until the men of Nineveh believed 
God and the preaching of Jonah that they turned to repent- 
ance. Jonah might have spent days and years, as many are 
today, preaching to sinners, but had the people not believed 
him they never would have repented. Just as certain, and so 
soon, as a sinner believes God and His Word, will he repent, 
not before. 

7. Through the chastening of God. "As many as I 
love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent" 
(Rev. 3:19). The message to the Laodicean Church, the luke- 
warm Church, was that God loved them, and because He loved 
them, He wanted to save them, and to save them he must 
rebuke them and chasten them. It is evident that many people 
would not repent were it not for certain afflictions sent of God. 
Sometimes people are thrown into great calamity and loss 
simply to lead them to repentance. Some people seldom think 



230 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

of God until He turns the wheels of their life backward. 

8. Through a glimpse of God. "I have heard of thee 
by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 
Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 
42:5, 6) The greatest thing that ever happened Job was his 
getting sight of God. When he saw God he abhorred himself 
and repented in dirt and ashes. The great trouble with the 
unrepenting man today is that he sees no one but himself, and 
then not as a sinner but as the best thing he knows. What 
the man needs is to get a view of God in contrast with himself. 

The Fruits of Repentance 

The penitent life is not without its fruit. When men 
repent there will be visible manifestations of repentance; there 
will be definite results. Some of these results may be summar- 
ized as follows : 

1. Self-humiliation.— (Joel 2:12, 13, Jas. 4:9-11.) It- 
there is any one thing which produces humiliation it is genuine 
repentance. There will be a rending of the heart, not only 
garments. There will be fasting instead of feasting, weeping 
instead of laughter. There will be humiliation instead of 
exaltation. Men will submit to anything in the Lord when 
penitent. 

2. Sorrow for Sin. — (Luke 10:13) To sit in sack-cloth 
and ashes is a sign of sorrow and mourning ; a sign of distress. 
When men repent a most evident fruit will be real sorrow for 
their past life. 

3. Confession of Sin. — (Luke 18:13, 14). The publican 
offered no self-justification ; he frankly admitted that he was 
the sinner. When men repent sin and wrong will be acknowl- 
edged. The mercy of God is their desire and their only hope. 
They care nothing for the good ( ?) Pharisee standing by, nor 
for the mockery of men ; but they will confess their wrong, 
and freely acknowledge that they have sinned. 

4. Self-abhorrence — (See again Job 42:5, 6.) That 
good opinion which men have of themselves will be exchanged 



REPENTANCE 231 

for self-disgust when they repent. They will see nothing good 
in themselves and Jesus will be their entire good. 

5. Turning from Sin.— (Read Ezek. 18:30; 14:6; II 
Chr. 6:26; Isa, 55:7; Acts 3:19.) It can not be too frequent- 
ly suggested that repentance is always accomplished by turning 
away from sin. There is no repentance which is genuine unless 
the penitent turn from his sin. 

6. Turning to God. — " that they should repent 

and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance" (Acts 
26:20). "For they themselves shew of us what manner of 
entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from 
idols to serve the living and true God" (I Thes. 1:9). It was 
the continual message of Paul that men should do works meet 
for repentance; and among these works was turning to God 
through repentance. Repentance which fails to lead men to 
turn to God is not genuine. When men turn from one object 
they must turn to another. The sinner who turns from sin 
must turn to God. 

7. Conversion. "Repent ye therefore, and be con- 
verted" (Acts 3:19). The natural outcome of repentance is 
conversion. Repentance and conversion go hand in hand ; 
where you find the one, you also find the other. 

8. Restitution. — "And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto 
the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the 
poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false 
accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, 
This day is salvation come to this house" (Luke 19:8, 9). No 
one can question the repentance of Zacchaeus. He was only a 
spectator that day when Jesus was passing by. But something 
worth while happened to him between the time he left the limb 
of the tree until he reached the ground. Zacchaeus repented 
and was converted, and men universally accept his conversion 
on the grounds largely that he at once made restitution. When 
a man begins to make past wrongs right, something has taken 
•place in that life. 

9. Water Baptism.— (See Mark 1:4; Acts 13:24; 2: 



232 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

38.) John the Baptist connected water baptism with repent- 
ance. Peter connected repentance with water baptism. Not 
that water baptism saves, or could be substituted for repent- 
ance; but that men who repent of their sin were baptized with 
water. The eunuch was baptized. Paul was baptized. Every 
penitent sinner will observe the ordinance of baptism after 
he truly repents. 

10. Joy in Heaven. — "Likewise, I say unto you, there 
is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner 
that repenteth" (Luke 15:10). The results and fruit of 
repentance do not stop on earth. The angels of heaven rejoice 
over every sinner who repents. 

The Fruit of Neglect 

1. Condemnation.— (Read Matt. 11 :20f) The cities 
who hear the Gospel and refuse to repent are under greater 
condemnation than Sodom. The man who neglects repentance 
is doomed ; he has no hope whatever. 

2. Judgment. — (Rev. 2:5, 16.) When men neglect the 
councils of God they must meet His judgments. 

3. Death. — (Luke 13:3) There are no two sides to the 
question. If men neglect to repent they must perish. The 
divine laws must be executed ; no man can change them. 

REPENT ! 






CHAPTER V 

JUSTIFICATION 

Being justified by faith, we have peace with 
God through our - Lord Jesus Christ. — Rom. 5:1. 

On the question of justification we shall consider fully 
the meaning of the word; the nature and pre-requisites of 
justification; the fruits of justification, and the process of 
accomplishment. But first we shall need to decide on a 

Definition 

1. The Hebrew word "tsadaq," means " justified," or 
"justify;" i. e'„, "to be or become right" (Job 11:2; Psa. 
51:4). It also means, "to make, or declare right" (Isa. 53:11). 

2. The Greek word "dikaioo" means "justifier;" or "to 
make or declare right" (Rom. 3:26; Matt. 11:19; Luke 
10:29; 18:14; Acts 13:39, etc.) used about forty times in 
the New Testament. The Greek word "dikaiosis" means, 
"justification;" i. e., "A setting right" (Rom. 4:25; 5:18). 
"Dikaioma," as used in Rom. 5 :16, means, "declaration of 
right." 

3. Justification, then, comes to mean the acquittal of an 
accused person by a judicial decision. "It is that judicial act 
of God by which the believing sinner, in the consideration of 
the merits of Christ, is released from the penalty of the law, 
and is declared to be entitled to heaven." The term means to 
"declare," or "pronounce" just. To justify means to pronounce 
"not guilty." It means that justice does not demand punish- 
ment. Or in the words of another, justification is "An act of 
God's free grace, wherein He pardoneth all our sins, and 
accepteth us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteous- 
ness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone." 
Or, in the words of Edwards, "A person is said to be justified 



234 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

when he is approved of God as free from guilt and sin and its 
deserved punishment; and as having that righteousness belong- 
ing to him that entitles to the reward of life." This view of 
the word agrees perfectly with the etymology of the word as 
well as with its use in Scripture. 

Nature and Pre-reouisites of Justification 
1. The Nature of Justification. — If we fully understand 
the nature of justification we can have little difficulty with the 
doctrine. Several things may be said concerning its nature : 

a. It is a definite act of God rather than a progressive 
work like sane ti fie ation. It is an act of grace to sinful men. 
While there is the greatest continuity in all God does, yet in 
the matter of justification the work is largely performed by a 
single act of God. Faith continues and grows all through life : 
justification takes place in man's life in a single act. It does 
not grow as many others of God's graces to men. 

b. It is not such an act that produces a change in the 
person as does regeneration, conversion or sanctification. 
When one is regenerated or converted there is a great change 
in the individual as such. But justification is not that which 
causes any such change in the individual. In fact, justification 
as such, produces no change in the man whatever. Faith, 
repentance, conversion and regeneration are the things which 
bring changes in the lives of men. Justification is but a 
resulting condition of faith and repentance. 

c. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to the believer 
in justification. That is, the righteousness of Christ is set to 
the believer's account as though it were really and inherently 
his own. Wesley and Calvin, and many theologians since, 
differ widely on this question of imputation. Some believe 
strongly in the view that by imputation the righteousness of 
Christ has been set to the believer's account; others do not 
accept it at all. But that the righteousness of God is imputed 
to believers is evident from such scriptures as Rom. 4 :3-8, II 
Cor. 5:21 and Phil. 3:9. 

d. Faith can not be substituted for justification. Faith 



JUSTIFICATION 235 

is only the ground on which we have justification. "Faith is 
the substance of the things hoped for, the evidence of the 
things not seen." Faith is man's part in salvation; justifica- 
tion is God's part. The one can not be substituted for the 
other. The sinner must rest alone in Christ, believe in Him, 
then he is justified ; the righteousness of Christ is imputed to 
him. 

2. Pre-requisites for Justification. — There are some 
things required beforehand for justification. Certain condi- 
tions must be met before man can be justified. The following 
are the leading ones : 

a. Faith in Christ. "Without faith it is impossible to 
please Him" (Heb. 11:6). Faith in Christ and His righteous- 
ness is the first requirement for justification. Men may justify 
themselves day after day, but unless God justifies they are still 
under the curse. 

b. Repentance. (Acts 2:38.) Genuine faith always leads 
to repentance. Without repentance there can be no forgive- 
ness ; without forgiveness, no justification. Faith and repent- 
ance must precede justification. Justification follows the union 
of faith with repentance as naturally and unfailingly as water 
results from the union of the two gases — hydrogen and oxygen. 

Fruits of Justification 

Like all other Christian graces or gifts of God, justification 
manifests itself in certain fruits. Among the most common of 
these are — 

1. Peace with God. "Therefore being justified by faith, 
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" 
(Rom. 5:1). When the penalty of the law has been lifted; 
when men are forgiven of their sin, we have a right to expect 
peace with God. There can be no peace between God and man 
so long as man knowingly transgresses the laws of God. But 
the removal of penalty through faith, repentance, and justifica- 
tion brings peace. The justified man has peace with God. 

2. Freedom from condemnation. ".... It is God that 



236 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

justifieth. Who is he that condemneth" (Rom. 8:33, 34)? 
Whenever penalty is lifted condemnation is also lifted. Who 
can condemn the believer when God justifies him? No one. 

3. Heirship to eternal life. "That being justified by his 
grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal 
life" (Tit. 3:7). (See also Rom. 5:16-18.) Eternal life is an 
inheritance of the justified only. There is no greater inherit- 
ance than everlasting life; and this inheritance comes through 
justification. 

4. Salvation from the wrath of God. "Much more then, 
being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath 
through him" (Rom. 5:9). Sin must be punished. God is a 
just God. His laws must be recognized. His wrath is upon 
the wicked. It is through justification that the wrath is lifted. 

5. Glorification of the believer. "Moreover whom he 
did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, 
them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also 
glorified" (Rom. 8:30). It is God's desire that all men be 
saved. He looked down through the ages before man existed 
and ordained that all should be saved. But he knew full well 
that some would reject Him and be lost. But this is through 
the deliberate will of man himself. All men have been called, 
few chosen; But the chosen are few because few chose to 
accept and be justified. But those who are accepted are also 
glorified. 

6. Escape of Judgment. (Jno. 5:24.) While the word 
justification does not appear in this reference, the idea is 
contained therein. The ones who pass from death unto life 
are the justified. The justified shall not come into judgment; 
they have One who on that day will represent them before the 
Father. 

7. Certain works to follow. (Jas. 2:18-24.) Faith is a 
good thing, a fundamental thing; and yet, faith alone ("dead" 
faith) is not enough. When men are justified by faith, that 
justification manifests itself in certain works. The justified 
man is the one who does things as well as believes things. 



JUSTIFICATION 237 

The Process of Accomplishment 

1. It is not by the works of the law. (Read Rom, 
3:20; Gal. 2:16;. 3:11; Rom. 3:28.) Every man has failed 
in keeping the law; hence, no justification by the law. 
Justification comes through another principle than that of 
works. The principle is free grace. Rom. 3:21-24. The 
keeping of the law is ruled out. Rom. 3 :20. The law is ruled 
out: (1) because man never could attain justification through 
the law; (2) because law-righteousness is not acceptable to 
God. Man can not win God's favor on the principle of merit. 
In no circumstances or works is God's favor earned. God 
loves and gives. Men are saved without the deeds of the law ; 
that is. they are justified through faith in Christ. 

2. It is a direct act of God. (Rom. 8:33.) It is God 
that justifies men. Men may justify themselves, or justify 
ethers, but unless God justifies they are still under condemna- 
tion. It is God against whom sin is committed ; He alone can 
forgive and remove the penalty of sin. He alone knows the 
true deserts of sin. "What have I done?" has been the cry 
of the world ; self-justification has ruined its thousands. God 
justifies. 

3. It is a free gift. "Being justified freely by His 
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 
3:24). Justification is not something for which men can pay 
as they would for justification before a criminal court. Before 
God every man is guilty and nothing which man may have can 
buy his justification. God knew that if ever man would be 
saved it must be through a free gift. Justification is not 
something to be worked for or earned. It is a grant from 
Gocl ; it is His gift. 

4. It comes through faith in Christ. (Read Rom. 4 :5 : 
5:1; Acts 13:39). We come back to our starting point; viz., 
faith in Christ. It is through believing in Christ that we may 
be justified from all things. It is a simple matter; perhaps, 
too simple for some. If men could pay for their justification 



238 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

with gold or silver they would readily undertake it, but because 
it is through simple faith they neglect it. 

5. It comes through the death of Christ. (Rom. 5 :9.) 
The sin of the world cost Christ His life. His blood was shed. 
It was through the surrender of His life by Christ that 
justification has been made possible. The life and death of 
Christ has been accepted by God as satisfactory atonement. 
Through His life and death the penalty has been lifted. If 
Christ had not been offered we would yet be in our sins. 

6. It comes, finally, through the resurrection of Christ. 
(Rom. 4:25) "Who was delivered for our offenses, and was 
raised again for our justification." He was delivered up to 
judgment because of our offences. He died and was raised 
because of our sin. Had He not been raised we would still be 
in our sin ; for it is through His resurrection that we have 
justification. 

"THEREFORE BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, 
' WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR 
LORD JESUS CHRIST." 



CHAPTER VI 

CONVERSION 

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the 
soul. — Psa. 19:7. 

It will be needful in the presentation of this subject to 
discuss the meaning of the term conversion ; the age and 
motives of conversion ; stepping stones leading" to, and the 
method of accomplishment; the necessity for, and the results 
of. conversion, with perhaps the statement and refutation of 
some of the common errors held concerning conversion. 

Definition 

In the Hebrew Old Testament the word comes from 
"shub," and means, "To bring back; to refresh" (Psa. 19:7). 
In Isa. 60 :5 another w r ord — "haphak," is used and means, "To 
be turned;" i. e., "To be converted." 

The Greek word translated conversion is "epistrophe," and 
means "A turning upon" (Acts 15:3). In Jas. 5:19-20 the 
word "epistrepse" is used and means, "To turn about, or 
upon." 

Hence the original word involves the idea of one being 
turned about, and that not of himself, but through the power 
of some one other than himself. To be converted is not the 
work of man ; it is to a great extent, if not entirely so, beyond 
the power of the individual ; it is the work of a higher power 
than man. It is the duty of every man to surrender himself 
to the higher power and allow himself to be turned. 

The Age of and Motives in Conversion 

Conversion seems to be an experience peculiar to youth.. 
It has been observed that conversion begins about the age of 
seven or eight and increases somewhat until about the ages of 



240 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

ten or eleven; and from about twelve to sixteen there is a 
rapid increase. Then from sixteen to twenty the number of 
conversions decrease. After the age of thirty we may say that 
conversion is a rare thing rather than the rule. The average 
age for the conversion of women is thirteen years; for men, 
sixteen years. Whenever girls or boys go beyond these ages 
unconverted, their chances become less continually. There are 
reasons for this which we need not present here. 

The question of the motives or forces which lead to 
conversion, so far as natural or human agencies are concerned, 
is a psychological one. There are two leading motives: First, 
pressure brought to bear on the individual through some friend 
or person interested in his salvation. Some one has urged the 
person to conversion. Perhaps twenty percent of converted 
persons have come in this way. Second, there is a motive of 
fear; fear of death and hell. Because of fear perhaps four-' 
teen percent of Christian people have been converted. 

Then there are other motives; such as example or imita- 
tion, certain teaching, remorse of conscience, conviction, etc. 
All these things put together bring pressure on an unconverted 
soul and they are the motives back of the great majority of 
conversions. It is important that the Christian worker keeps 
these things in mind and brings them to bear upon the souls of 
men, in which case he may reasonably expect conversion. 

The first Cause in real conversion is that the Holy Spirit 
convicts the person of sin, and the sinner under conviction 
seeks the pardoning grace of God. 

Stepping Stones to Conversion 
There are certain things or conditions which form a 
natural path to conversion ; certain steps which gradually lead 
to turning man about in his ways. The more evident of these 
are — 

1. Knowledge of Sin and Righteousness. — Men see the 
contrast between the sinful and the righteous life; they learn 
that sin is in direct opposition to righteousness. When they 
recognize this fact they have their first step to conversion. 



CONVERSION 241 

"Where there is no consciousness of this difference there is no 
«conversion. 

2. Sin-sickness. — The ages mentioned above, from 
twelve to sixteen, are the storm and stress periods of life. 
There is a condition which is characteristic of every life ; 
namely, that of being sick of sin. The boy and girl of twelve 
to fourteen years of age become tired of themselves. They 
become conscious of their sin, become a burden to themselves. 
This is a critical time in their lives, and it is during this age 
when either great good or great evil can be done. It is one 
way or the other, and that for life. And it is true in some 
measure also of older men and women beyond the age of 
thirty. But at whatever age, there is always a sickness of sin 
just preceeding conversion. 

3. Faith in Christ. — When one becomes fully aware of 
sin and righteousness ; when he becomes sick of sin, then he 
comes to the point of faith. He learns that he is in sin and 
lost, and his only hope is faith in Christ. 

4. Repentance. — (Acts 3 :19.) Repentance is the nat- 
ural result if sinful men will allow the divine process to work. 
Where there is a knowledge of sin and righteousness, a sick- 
ness of self and sin, and faith in Christ, repentance is certain 
to result, and these are the stepping stones to conversion. 

Method of Accomplishment 

As we have noted before and should always remember, 
■conversion is not the work of man. This is beyond his power. 
Conversion, unlike faith and repentance, is God's work in 
saving man. Man's duty is to believe and repent; God's work 
is to convert. Some of the most common methods of accomp- 
lishing conversion are — 

1. Through the drawing of God. "No man can come 
to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him" (Jno. 
6:44). The great mistake of many sinners is in this that they 
think they will come to Christ "just when they get ready." 
They hold the mistaken notion that they can walk up to God 



242 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

at any time and be accepted. But in this they are seriously 
mistaken. No man can come to Christ except the Father draw 
him. The fact that Christ spoke these words is evidence that 
there may be a time, after man has refused so often, when 
the Father does not draw. It is only through the drawing of 
God that we have any hope of conversion. 

2. Through the blessing and resurrection of Christ. 
''Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent 
Him to bless you, in turning away everyone of you from his 
iniquities" (Acts 3:26). There is power in the blessing and 
resurrection of Christ. Had it not been for the great blessing 
of Christ we would be helpless. Were it not for His resurrec- 
tion we would not have the least chance to turn away from 
sin. It is this resurrection to life which gives us hope, and 
makes it possible for man to be converted. 

3. Through the Holy Spirit. "Turn you at my re- 
proof : behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make 
known my words unto you" (Prov. 1:23). This is the promise 
of the Spirit and an indication of what He will do in turning 
men away from sin unto righteousness. In the words of 
Christ (John 16 :8f ) the Holy Spirit would reprove the world 
of sin and righteousness. It is through the power of the Spirit 
of God that we are turned unto Him. 

4. Through the Gospel ministry. "To open their eyes, 
and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power 
of Satan unto God" (Acts 26:18). (See also I Thes. 1:9.) 
The entire ministry of Paul was toward the turning of men 
from sin unto God. In every place where the Word was 
preached men were turned from darkness to light — from 
serving idols to serving the living God. Where there is no 
Gospel ministry there is no conversion. The idea of some men 
that the Gospel ministry is a thing of the past is a mistake. 
So long as men sin they need turning to God and one great 
agent of this turning is the ministry of the Word. 

5. Through the law of God. "The law of the Lord is 
perfect, converting the soul" (Psa. 19:7). Not necessarily the 



CONVERSION 243 

Mosaic law, but, as the Revised Version makes it, the "doctrine" 
-of God converts the soul. To bring a soul face to face with 
the great doctrines of God is almost certain to produce conver- 
sion. But if men close their eyes and lives to this law and 
doctrine there is little hope. But the perfect doctrine of God 
will convert men. Traditions and customs of the elders will 
not do ; it requires the pure and eternal doctrine of God. 

6. Through faith. "And the hand of the Lord was 
with them : and a great number believed and turned unto the 
Lord" (Acts 11:21). It is a natural result which we may 
.always expect that when men believe they will turn to God. 
Faith is the great dynamic in every part of salvation in which 
man is concerned. The early Greeks when they heard the 
Word believed in great numbers and turned unto the Lord. 

7. Through confession of sin. " If they pray 

toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their 
sin, when thou afflictest them" (I Kings 8:35). It was the 
case in Solomon's day that men needed to confess their sins if 
they would live acceptably to God. Confession of sin is man's 
work and this must precede conversion. We should avoid, 
however, drawing too hard and fast lines between confession 
and conversion, and between conversion and regeneration, 
because these are very closely connected. 

8. Through affliction. (Psa. 78:34.) It was the ex- 
perience of Israel that through affliction they were turned to 
the Lord. It is in many cases true that sore affliction leads 
men unto the Lord. Some people do not think seriously of 
turning unto God until He pays them a short visit through 
some affliction. Job needed a gentle reminder from God. He 
was a better man after his affliction than before. 

9. Through the grace of God. (Acts -11:21, 23.) 
Speaking again of the Greeks, it was only through His 
abundant grace that they were permitted to turn to the Lord. 
They saw the grace of God that it was free to all. His 
undeserved mercy is the avenue through which we have con- 
version. 



244 BIBLE DOCTRINE 



Necessity of Conversion 



The need of genuine, evangelical conversion becomes 
apparent when we remember that — 

1. All men have gone wrong. (Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:21; 
Eccl. 7:20.) Like lost sheep all men have gone astray; they 

- have wandered away ; there are none on earth that do good ; 
not one. Every man has come short of the glory of God. 
Men, it appears at times, have been born with their backs 
toward God and their faces toward the evil. For this reason 
all men need to be converted, turned about. 

2. All men have bad hearts. "The heart is deceitful 
above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17:9). There 
are no exceptions to this rule. The hearts of men are bad, 
desperately wicked. There are none that do good. The great 
conflict between right and wrong takes place in the hearts of 
men ; it is here that God and the devil meet. Because of this 
wickedness of heart all men need conversion. 

3. No sinner can get into the kingdom without con- 
version. "Except ye be converted, . and become as little 
children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 
18:3). The man who prepares a way for himself to enter the 
kingdom without conversion is doomed to failure. There is no 
new, short or cross-cut way to the kingdom. Men must take 
upon them the child nature ; namely, that of dependence and 
trust in the Father, and accept the way of conversion before 
they can enter the kingdom. 

4. Conversion is commanded. "He openeth also their 
ears to discipline, and commandeth that they return from 
iniquity" (Job 36:10). "Repent ye therefore, and be convert- 
ed" (Acts 3:19). From the beginning of sin in the race, 
men were commanded to turn from their evil ways to the Lord. 
Every man is under moral obligation to be converted. It is 
not only a privilege, but a moral duty which men owe to God 
and to themselves. 

5. There is trouble ahead for the unconverted. "If he 
turn not, he will whet his sword ; he hath bent his bow, and 



CONVERSION 245 

made it ready" (Psa. 7:12). (See also Jer. 44:5, 11.) When 
men hearken not, and refuse to turn from their iniquity; when 
they will burn incense to other gods, the Lord will set His face 
against them for evil. What hope has any man to escape 
trouble when the Lord has set His face against him? 

Results of Conversion 

Perhaps the results of conversion can be most clearly seen 
on the fruit tree of charity — I Cor. 13. Love will be the great 
result, and this will include all other results. 

1. Love for the Truth. — "Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but 
rejoiceth in the truth" (I Cor. 13:6). The converted man has 
come to hate the untruth and love the truth. He learns that 
his old stock of knowledge amounts to very little. He learns 
that He will need to change his mind on many things. He 
will find that many things which he held as truth are not truth 
at all. 

2. Humility. — "Charity vaunteth not itself, is not purled 
up" (I Cor. 13:4). There is nothing puffy about the converted 
man. Pride and haughtiness find no place in the converted 
soul. Conversion will do more in a moment to remove pride 
and foolishness than all of Sinai can do in years. Lawing 
against sin never brings the desired results; conversion alone 
will do the work. Law may tie the hands, but can not change 
the heart. 

3. Forbearance. — "Beareth all things, believeth all 
things, hopeth all things, endureth all things" (I Cor. 13:7). 
The false accusations of men do not affect the converted man; 
he is not offended at the little things which happen to cross his 
path ; he can bear patiently with the faults and errors of his 
fellows ; he is large enough to bear with men who differ with 
him. 

4. Restitution. — ( ( See again Luke 19 :8.) The first 
thought that came to Zacchaeus after his conversion was 
restitution. He knew that he had been unjust in some of his 
business and that restitution would need to be made before he 



246 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

could feel justified. To make past wrongs right as far as 
possible has always been an element in man's getting right with 
God. One great reason why many professors do not enjoy 
their Christian experience is because they will not restore that 
which was gained unjustly. 

Some Mistaken Views 

1. That conviction is conversion. Many people make 
this mistake. They think that because they have been greatly 
convicted they have been converted. They confuse conviction 
with conversion. Conviction is a good and necessary thing, 
but it will not pass for conversion. Conviction is waking up; 
conversion is getting up. 

2. That ethical conduct or reformation is equal to, or 
better than, orthodox conversion. The pulpit which stands 
alone for ethical culture and moral reformation does the world 
little,' if any, eternal good. Ethical culture, in so far as it goes, 
is a good thing; so also is moral reformation a good thing so 
far as it goes. But the great trouble with both of these is that 
they go no farther than the present life. Nowhere in Scripture 
are men taught that they should reform. Repentance and 
conversion are the things commanded. If men and Churches 
want to lose power let them substitute ethical conduct and 
reformation for conversion. 

3. That conversion can be fully explained on psycho- 
logical grounds. This is one of the late ideas in religious 
psychology. It is not an uncommon thing to find men who 
advocate the above view. It is, to some extent, the result of 
denying the miracles in the New Testament. If there are no 
physical miracles in the New Testament, then likewise there 
are no psychical either. If miracles, so-called, are but the 
working of natural laws, so is conversion. Denying the miracle 
in the natural realm denies it also in the spiritual. To this 
view it only remains to say that those who deny the miraculous 
have not yet disproved the supernatural, or rather the super- 
human. Concerning conversion it may be said that the re- 



CONVERSION 247 

ligious psychologist has done great service in his attempt to 
separate conversion into its elements, but he has by no means 
succeeded in explaining conversion upon psychological grounds. 

"REPENT YE THEREFORE, AND BE CONVERTED." 



CHAPTER VII 

REGENERATION 

Except a man be born again, he can not see 
the kingdom of God. — Jno. 3:3. 

Up to the present we have been considering largely that 
part of the work in the plan of salvation which refers to the 
breaking down process of the old man, a giving up to cruci- 
fixion of the old life. But in regeneration we have the con- 
structive work in the plan; the building of the new life. But 
first of all on the question of regeneration we shall need to 
observe the 

Definition 

1. The word "regeneration," however, comes directly 
from the Greek word "paliggenesia," which is a compound of 
the two words "palin," which means "again," and "genesis" 
which means "birth," "nativity" or "origin." So we have the 
word "regeneration" meaning "The act of becoming, or being 
born again." The word is used twice in the New Testament — 
Matt. 19:28 and Tit. 3:5. It carries the idea of moral renova- 
tion, the production of a new life for God, a radical change 
for the better. 

2. The word "regeneration," as used in Matt. 19:28, is 
more or less misleading when applied to the doctrine of 
regeneration in the experience of the new birth. "In the 
regeneration ....," is an expression which refers to the future 
condition of the believer and not to the doctrine of regenera- 
tion. For the doctrine we must take such passages as John 
3 :7 : "Ye must be born again ;" a lso such passages as I John 
3:14: "We know that we have passed from death unto life, 
because we love the brethren." Regeneration as a doctrine 
means that moral change in a man, through the power and 



REGENERATION 249 

working of the Holy Ghost, which saves him from the love 
and practice of sin, and enables him to love and serve God and 
keep His commandments. 

It is a real and serious question with some people just 
what regeneration really is. People become confused at times, 
not knowing whether they have been regenerated or not. On 
the other hand, there are those entertaining false hopes of 
being born again when they are not; they have made a 
substitution and hold for regeneration that which it is not. 
So it is needful for us to consider, 

What Regeneration is not 

1. It is not conviction of sin. Thousands of people are 
convicted of their sin but they are not born again; they are 
not made new. Conviction, as noted before, is merely waking 
up to the actual condition of the soul, but regeneration is the 
cure for sin in operation. Conviction is only finding the 
criminal guilty; regeneration makes of him a new man. 

2. It is not moral reformation. Many drunkards reform, 
but this is not regeneration. Many profane men stop using 
profane language, but this is not regeneration. To reform is 
one thing; to be born again is another. To stop sinning 
because of some outward pressure is one thing; to stop sinning 
because of some spiritual, inward motive is quite another. 
Regeneration always produces reformation, but reformation 
seldom, if ever, produces regeneration. 

3. It is not repentance or conversion. While it is well to 
guard against hair-splitting on the question of just where 
repentance or conversion stop and regeneration begins, yet, it 
is clearly evident that the three are not synonymous terms 
neither the same experience. Repentance may exist without 
complete regeneration. People may, in a degree, be converted, 
torn down, and still not be regenerated; not made new, or 
"re-created." Regeneration is the constructive work. The 
reason why many people fall back into the world is because 
they stop before experiencing a complete work in regenera- 



250 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

tion. Too many people stop when they are "broken up." The 
thing they need to do is to go on until they are created anew 
and built up. 

4. It is not a change only of external relations or 
purposes. Many people change their external relationships 
and purposes, but this is not regeneration. The new birth can 
not be explained alone on social or psychological grounds. The 
man who is regenerated will change his external relations, will 
change his purpose ; but these changes in themselves are not 
regeneration. They are but some of the fruit of regeneration. 

Regeneration: what it is 

1. It is a superhuman work. "Which were born, not of 
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but 
of God" (Jno. 1:13). "Of His own will begat he us with the 
Word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his 
creatures" (Jas. 1:18). Regeneration is a miraculous work. 
To attempt to explain it on natural or psychological principles 
is lowering its standard and attempting an impossibility. To 
rob the Bible and the salvation plan of the superhuman is to 
rob these of everything which distinguishes them from other 
books and plans. Psychological science has done much good, 
but when it attempts to explain the work of regeneration on a 
purely psychological basis it is going beyond its ability. There 
are some things in regeneration which can be explained psy- 
chologically, and there are some which can not. 

2. Regeneration is an inward change. "Then will I 
sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean : from all 
your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A 
new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put 
within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your 
flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh" (Ezek. 36:25, 26). 
"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not 
enter into the kingdom of God" (Jno. 3:5). Regeneration is 
not a question of outward work or condition, but of an inward. 
It is not primarily a question of reformation or change of 



REGENERATION 251 

external matters, but a question of heart change, a question of 
inward, spiritual change. 

3. Regeneration is the making of a new mind. "And 
be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom. 
12:2). It is in the mind where the great work takes place. It 
is the surrender of the old mind for the mind of Christ. Too 
many people make the mistake of attempting to transform 
their lives by adopting certain methods, traditions, or customs. 
Men have forgotten that regeneration is a transformation of 
the individual by renewing of the mind and not by renewing of 
externalities. If the mind is. renewed; externalities will also be 
renewed. 

4. Regeneration means a new creation. "Therefore if 
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things have 
passed away; behold, all things are become new" (II Cor. 
5:17). "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth 
anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature" (Gal. 6:15). 
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto 
good works" (Eph. 2:10). This is but a repetition of what 
has been said above. To be regenerated means to be re-born, 
and this means a new creation. 

5. Regeneration means the creating of a new spiritual 
nature. "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and 
precious promises : that by these ye might be partakers of the 
divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the 
world through lust" (II Pet. 1:4). Here again the miraculous 
side of the question appears. A new spiritual nature results 
in regeneration. We actually become partakers of the divine 
nature. The old carnal nature is done away and the divine 
nature of Christ begins. 

6. Regeneration is a new birth. "Except a man be 
born again, he can not see the kingdom of God .... Ye must 
be born again." (Jno. 3:3, 7). "Being born again, not of 
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, 
which liveth and abideth forever" (I Pet. 1:23). The old 
carnal nature was born of the flesh. This carnal nature has 



252 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

always been opposed to God. Something must be done to 
remove the displeasure of God. There is but one thing that 
can be done, namely, have the sinner reborn; let him be born 
spiritually and anew. 

7. Regeneration means the image of God in the soul. 
"And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge 
after the image of him that created him" (Col. 3:10). The 
image of God was a part of man's loss in the fall. His 
knowledge, purity, and power were lost in the first transgres- 
sion. It was the divine image which we lost. But in regenera- 
tion we regain that image; the image of God is reformed in 
the soul. 

8. Regeneration is the forming of Christ in the heart. 
(Gal. 6:15 cf. Col. 1:27.) The Christian is but a reproduction 
of the Christ life upon the earth. In a word it may be said 
that regeneration is simply the forming of Christ in the life of 
men. The old man is crucified and the new man, Christ, comes 
in. 

9. Regeneration is the receiving of a new heart and 
spirit. (Read again Ezek. 36:25, 26.) To explain just how 
the old spirit is taken away, and just how the new comes in 
is beyond human ability. How it is that men who have been 
continually bad can be changed to the condition of a pure heart 
and a Christ-like spirit is beyond complete explanation. We 
are content with the blind man who was not able to tell how, 
or just who it was that healed him, but one thing he did know 
was that whereas he Once was blind, now he sees. 

10. Regeneration is a liberation from sin. "Whosoever 
is born of God doth not commit sin ; for his seed remaineth 
in him: and he can not sin, because he is born of God" (I 
Jno. 3:9). This reference has been . a bone of contention 
between several types of thought for some time. By the one 
school it is taken that the man who is regenerated can not 
possibly do another wrong; that the commission of sin is not 
possible in his life. The other, and more rational school, holds 
that the man who is born again can not practice sin knowingly; 



REGENERATION 253 

that though man still has free will as a Christian and can sin 
if he will, yet, the regenerated man has no such desire to sin; 
that he has power over sin and does not sin because he wills 
-not to do so. 

How Accomplished 

1. By direct work of God. "Which were born, not of 
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but 
■of God" (John 1:13). The work of man is to have faith and 
repent; God regenerates. It is through the will of God that 
the work is done; and this is about as near as we can come to 
the how of the matter. Jesus made no attempt to fully explain 
Jno. 3:8. 

2. Through God's Word. (See again I Pet. 1:23.) 
The incorruptible seed is the Word of God. God operates 
through His Word. When His Word gets into a life that life 
is certain to be re-modeled. It is because of this that preaching 
will last as long as time. Before men can be regenerated they 
must come under the influence of His word. 

3. Through the work of the Holy Spirit. "Except a 
man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter into 
the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh; 
and that which is born of Spirit is spirit" (Jno. 3:5, 6). "Not 
by works of righteousness which we have done, but according 
to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and 
renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Tit. 3:5). The regenerating 
power in man's life comes through the Holy Spirit. All human 
efforts fail ; the'Holy Spirit alone has power to remake the ruined 
life. The work of the Spirit is miraculous; equally miraculous 
with any of the miracles of Christ. No more than man can 
tell from whence the wind comes and to what place it goes can 
he tell just how man is born of the Spirit. But this one 
thing we can know; namely, the results of the wind after it is 
past. We can know the results of regeneration when it has 
taken place. 

4. Through faith and reception of Christ. (Jno. 1 :12, 



254 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

13.) In the final analysis we come back again to faithv 
Without faith there can be no regeneration. Those who* 
receive Him into their lives have the power to become the 
sons of God; they become joint heirs with Christ. 

Eleven Birth-marks 

Some people when born into this world come with certain' 
marks upon them which remain with them through life. It is 
so with the spiritual birth; there are certain birth-marks which 
characterize those born of the Spirit. Among the most- 
common of these are — 

1. A new Mind. — (Rom. 12:2.) The new mind, the- 
new way of thinking, is a mark which characterizes every 
person born of the Spirit. It is a mark which remains and' 
can not be easily hidden. 

2. A new Creature. — (II Cor. 5 :17.) Regenerated per- 
sons are always known by their newness. Their life is one of 
brightness. Storms and distress may come, but the new-born 
soul is still bright and shining. 

3. New Knowledge. — (Col. 3:10.) Some people, it is 
true, lose about all they ever, knew when they reach the- new 
birth. The trouble is they have filled their lives with things 
utterly useless to them, and when they are re-born they must 
take on new knowledge and that means giving up the old. But 
it pays any soul to give up the old for the new. To be renewed 
in knowledge after the image of Christ should be the aspiration 
of every person. 

4. Victory over the World. — "For whatsoever is born 
of God overcometh the world" (I Jno. 5 :4) There is not the 
slightest doubt that the regenerated man or woman has power 
over the world. If men fail continuously in their conflict with 
sin it is evident that they are not born of God. Perhaps they 
have been only partially born and have not the strength to 
successfully resist the enemies of life. 

5. Deliverance from the Law of Sin and Death. — "For 



REGENERATION 255 

the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free 
from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2). While the word 
regeneration does not appear in this reference, yet it is clearly 
implied. The eighth of Romans deals with the regenerated life, 
the new born life, and this is the life that is free from the law 
■of sin and death. 

6. Living in the Spirit. — "For they that are after the 
flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after 

the Spirit the things of the Spirit But ye are not in the 

flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell 
in you" (Rom. 8:5, 9). This is a mark of the new birth which 
is always noticeable. Temporal things have lost their attraction 
and the spiritual are the great things. Pleasures of the world 
have lost their interests but the pleasures of heaven are ever 
increasing. 

7. Indwelling of the Holy Ghost. — "Know ye not that 
ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth 
an you" (I Cor. 3:16; 6:19)? Again the word regeneration 
does not appear in these references, but the doctrine is here by 
implication. The regenerated life is the life filled with the 
Holy Spirit of God. The human body becomes the earthly 
•dwelling place for the Holy Ghost. This is a birth mark which 
•can not be hidden. 

8. Belief in Jesus as the Christ. — "Whosoever believeth 
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (I Jno. 5:1). How 
men dare deny Jesus as the Christ, the Anointed, the God, and 
yet claim rightness with Him may be a question. If I deny 
Him as the Christ, the Anointed of God, I am not born of 
Him; I am not regenerated. Belief in Jesus as the Christ is 
:an indispensable mark of the new birth. 

9. Love for the Brethren. — "We know that we have 
passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" 

(I Jno. 3:14). When the new birth takes place men will love 
■their brethren. There will be no back-biting or evil speaking. 
Men certainly know whether they love their brethren; if they 
Iknow this then there can be no question as to whether they are 



256 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

born again. John was careful to give the early Church a mark- 
by which they might know for certain whether they are born< 
again. 

10. Righteousness. — "Ye know that every one that 
doeth righteousness is born of God" (I Jno. 2:29). Doing; 
righteousness is the thing we have a right to expect of the 
man who is born again. Certainly men know whether they 
delight in doing righteousness or unrighteousness. If they 
know this they also know whether they are born again. 

11. Non-commission of Sin. — "Whosoever is born of 
God doth not commit sin" (I Jno. 3:9). And here is the 
great birth-mark. The reference does not teach that it is 
impossible for a certain class to commit sin and transgression' 
if they so determine; but it does teach that the man who is- 
born again does not practice sin. 

Who Need Regeneration? 

This question may be answered in a word; namely, that 
all sinners need regeneration. This is so because: 

1. There is no eternal life without. (Jno. 3:3.) A 
man can not get even a glimpse of the kingdom of God unless 
he is born again. This is the teaching of the Son of God. Let 
no man play or tamper with the doctrine. 

2. There is no substitute. "Ye must be born again" is- 
the way it was put to Nicodemus. If he would have eternal 
life he must be born again. There was no second way; it 
was take the way of Christ, the new birth, or never see the 
kingdom. 

3. To be saved means a "new creature." (Gal. 6:15; 
Jno. 3:3, 6.) All sinners need and ought to be saved; and to 
be saved means that they need to be made new, born again. 
The old man can not enter the eternal and spiritual world; it 
requires a new man after the image of Christ; and this comes- 
alone through regeneration. 

"In the new birth the Word of God is the seed; the- 



REGENERATION 257 

human heart is the soil; the preacher is the sower, and drops 
the seed into the soil (Acts 16 :14) ; the hearer believes ; the 
Spirit quickens the seed into life in the receptive heart; the 
new divine nature springs up out of the divine word; the 
believer is bonr again, created anew, made alive, passed out of 
death into life." (Torrey.) 



CHAPTER VIII 
SANCTIFICATION 

Sanctify them through thy truth. — Jno. 17:17. 

Perhaps no other doctrine has been more misused and 
misunderstood than has the doctrine of sanctification. This 
may be accounted for on the grounds that men have failed to 
agree on what the word "sanctification" really and literally 
means. We must all admit that what the original word meant 
in the minds of the writers of Scripture is the meaning which 
we should adopt. The greatest sin which any man can commit 
against the Bible is to insist on reading into it his own personal 
opinions, or even experiences, instead of reading out of it the 
opinions, experiences, and meanings placed there by the 
writers. What matters it what the personal opinion of any 
man may be? The mind of the Scripture must determine for 
us the doctrine. And to get a clear idea of what is meant in 
Scripture by sanctification it will be needful to study the 
etymology of the word before we form our 

Definition 

1. The Hebrew word, "qadesh" — "sanctify," means, "To 
separate, to set apart" (Gen. 2:3. Ex. 13:2), and is used 
about one hundred and fifteen times in the Old Testament. 

2. The Greek word, "hagiazo" — "sanctified," also means, 
"To separate, set apart" (Acts 20:32; Rom. 15:16), and is 
used about twenty-seven times in the New Testament. An- 
other form of the word — "hagiasmos" — "sanctification," also 
means, "separation, a setting apart" (I Thes. 4:3; I Pet. 1:2), 
and is used about five times in the New Testament. 

The most frequent u>e of the word "hagiazo" — "sancti- 
fied" is, 



SANCTIFICATION 259 

1. To separate from things profane and dedicate to 
God ; to consecrate and so render inviolable. 

2. To purify; to cleanse externally; to purify levitically 
(Heb. 9:13); also to purify by expiation (I Cor. 6:11. Eph. 
5:26, etc.); also to purify internally by reformation of sou4. 
Jno. 17:17, 19. 

3. To hallow, to render or acknowledge to be vener- 
able. Matt. 6:9. (For further study see Thayer's Grk. Lex. 
on "hagiazo.") 

From the etymology of the wold sanctification, then, we 
find the primary meaning to be, "separation;" in the Christian 
use of the doctrine it means separation from the world of sin, 
and through this separation purity follows. The word "separ- 
ate" may well be substituted for "sanctify" when used in the 
Christian sense. Jesus might as well have said: "Separate 
them through thy truth; thy Word is truth" (John 17:17). 

Sanctification has been spoken of as, "The work of God's 
free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after 
the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto 
sin and live unto righteousness."' While this statement is 
quite general, yet it quite properly describes the doctrine, 
provided we give due consideration to the etymological mean- 
ing of the term, as we shall note later. 

Sanctification and justification can not be separated and 
remain alive, any more than a bird can live when cut into 
separate parts in the laboratory of the scientist. The lives of 
some birds must be given that the lives of others may be 
known. While sanctification and justification must remain 
together in order to live, yet for the sake of clearness the 
difference between sanctification and justification must be 
noted. These are treated separately in the Scriptures. Justi- 
fication "is a transient act; sanctification is a progressive 
work .... Justification changes, or declares to be changed, the 
relation of the sinner to the justice of God; sanctification 
involves a change of character. The former, therefore, is 
objective; the latter subjective, justification is founded on 



260 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

what Christ has done for us; sanctification is the effect of 
what He does in us. Justification is complete and the same in 
all, while sanctification is progressive, and is more complete in 
some than others." — Hodge. 

Different Kinds and Different Agents of Sanctification 

In order to get a clear idea of what sanctification in the 
Christian sense implies and does, we need to remember that 
there are a number of agents in sanctification and that thert 
are a number of different things which may be sanctified. I\ 
must be remembered that sanctification does not in every case 
mean cleansing, but that it always does imply separation. 
But in connection with Christian sanctification, separation is 
accomplished through cleansing. 

1. Men may sanctify material things. (Ex. 29:27; 
40:10.) The breast of the wave offering, the altar, and other 
things were sanctified by certain individuals appointed for such 
duties. There will be no difficulty in understanding what this 
form of sanctification means when we keep in mind the literal 
meaning of the word: that is, set apart for special use and 
could not be used for any other service than that designated. 

2. Men may sanctify the Lord. (Num. 20:12; I Pet. 
3:15.) Certainly the word "sanctify" in this case can not 
mean cleansing or purifying; the Lord needs no cleansing. 
What is really meant is that men have their hearts set apart, 
and separated unto the Lord. When the Lord has full control 
of the heart,; that is, is given His place on the throne in the 
heart, then the Lord is sanctified in that heart. 

3. Men may sanctify themselves. (Lev. 20:7.) Here 
men are commanded to sanctify, separate themselves from the 
evil and be holy. This comes near the New Testament sancti- 
fication of the Christian, yet there is a difference. Under the 
law, when men sanctified themselves they separated themselves 
from sin. Under grace men do not sanctify themselves, but 
they are sanctified, separated from sin through the truth (Jno. 



SANCTIFICATION 261 

17:17), in Christ (I Cor. 1:2), by the Holy Ghost (Rom. 
15:16). 

4. Men may sanctify others. (Ex. 13:2; 19:14; Josh. 
1:13; I Sam. 16:5.) The first born of both man and beast 
under the law were set apart unto the Lord. Joshua was 
directed to sanctify, to separate, the people from their sin 
when they failed at Ai. Samuel sanctified Jesse and his sons. 
In other words, these individuals were set apart, or separated, 
for special service unto the Lord. 

5- Men may sanctify a congregation. (Joel 2:16.) 
The direction of the Lord to the prophet was to sanctify the 
people as a congregation. They were to be separated from sin 
and evil; but the agent in this sanctification was the prophet 
himself. 

6. The Lord sanctifies His great name. (Ezek. 36:23.) 
The name of the Lord had been confused with the heathen 
gods; His name had been profaned. But now the Lord would 
separate His great name from among the heathen and show to 
them that He was separate, distinct, the one God above all 
things. 

7. The Lord sanctifies men. (Lev. 21:8, 15; Jno. 
17:17.) In the first reference the Lord sanctified the priest; 
he was set apart and was not permitted to defile himself or 
mix with that which was evil. Under the New Testament 
mtK are sanctified by the Lord through His Word; this is 
Christian sanctification. I Thes. 5 :23. 

8. Jesus sanctified Himself. (Jno. 17:19.) But why 
should Jesus sanctify Himself? Was He guilty of some sin? 
By no means. Jesus sanctified Himself for the same reason 
that He was baptized: to be an example of separation unto 
God and His Word, not because He needed cleansing. 

From the above cases of different kinds of sanctification 
it becomes clear that sanctification and holiness are noJ 
necessarily synonymous, though they are used interchangeably 
at times. It is further clear that sanctificatiop doe* not 
necessarily mean cleansing from sin, as some would teach 



262 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Jesus needed no cleansing, though He sanctified Himself. 
Finally, we may safely affirm that sanctifi cation means "a 
setting apart," and in this setting apart under the Gospel men 
are cleansed from sin. In a word, sanctification is the sum of 
faith, repentance, justification, conversion, and regeneration. 

The Means of Christian Sanctification 

1. A Superhuman Work. — This point should be noted 
for the reason that there are those who have confused sancti- 
fication with moral reformation. It is a frequent occurrence 
that men who have been immoral in their lives change their 
entire course of living. Outwardly they look correct. Such a 
change may be produced from different causes : conscience, 
enlightenment, regard for others, or numerous other things 
may produce such results. But whatever may be the cause of 
such change or reformation, such reformation is far short of 
sanctification. "The two things differ in nature as much as a 
clean heart from clean clothes." Such a change of externals 
may still leave a man's character unchanged before God ; he 
may still not love or have faith in Christ. The evidence that 
sanctification is a superhuman work is taken from the fact that 
it is so constantly referred to God as the agent. I Thes. 5:23; 
Heb. 13:20, 21; Eph. 5:25, etc. 

2. A Work of God- — "The very God of peace sanctify 
you wholly" (I Thes. 5:23). Here in a word we have the 
means of Christian sanctification. It is God who does the 
work of setting apart or separating men from sin. This of 
course implies man's willingness to give himself to the separa- 
tion. We shall observe man's part below. 

3. Through the Truth. — "Sanctify them through thy 
truth ; thy Word is truth." No man has ever yet received the 
Word of God into his life who was not sanctified because of it. 
Truth when accepted by a man will separate him from sin. 
It is not the opinion of some man or some book which has 
been written on the subject that sanctifies people, but it is the 
truth of God getting hold of that life. Much harm and 



SANCTIFICATION 263 

confusion has come to many people who have followed some 
extremist on this subject instead of quietly and faithfully 
accepting the Word of Truth. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ 
planted in the life of man that sanctifies, separates him and 
keeps him separated. 

4. Through Christ. — The work of Christ always has 
been to separate and cleanse men from sin. (Eph. 5:25, 26) 
The Church has been sanctified and cleansed, and He did the 
work through the cleansing power of His Word. 

5. Through the Holy Ghost.— (II Thes. 2:13; I Pet. 
1:2.) The Holy Spirit is the present and active agent in 
sanctification. God operates through the Spirit, and then only 
as men have faith and receive the Word of truth. 

6. Through the Blood of Christ. — "Wherefore Jesus 
also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, 
suffered without the gate" (Heb. 13:12). As under he law 
men were set apart, cleansed from evil through the offering of 
some animal, so under grace Jesus offered Himself that 
through faith in His offering men might be set "free from a 
world of sin and be joined with Himself. Men are separated 
from the guilt and condemnation of sin as a result of the 
atonement made by the blood of Christ. Heb. 13:12; 10:1-12^ 
Men are separated from the bondage of the law and service of 
sin in the flesh by the vicarious death of the body of Jesus. 
Rom. 6 ; Gal. 2 :20. In the former we have cleansing from 
"filthiness;" in the latter we have the removal of "filthy-mind- 
edness." Had it not been for this offering Christian sanctifica- 
tion would not be possible. 

7. Through earnest Pursuit. — "Follow after peace with 
all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see 
the Lord" (Heb. 12:14, R. V.). Sanctification is something 
which men must pursue and follow after. It is very true that 
sanctification is a superhuman work, but the superhuman work 
can not operate until men meet the conditions. The duty of 
men is to pursue earnestly that separation which comes 
through His Word. 






264 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

8. Through Submission to God.— (Rom. 6:19-22.) 
Christian sanctification can not be accomplished unless men 
submit and yield themselves to God and unto holiness. The 
fact that so many people fail in their Christian experience, or 
wander in the wilderness of doubt and uncertainty f o»* years, can 
be accounted for in the fact of their unwillingness to submit 
themselves to the will of God; they h^ve not learned to trust 
His promises. "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not 
his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" CI 
jno. 2:4). 

9. Through personal Cleansing.— (II Cor. 6:17-7:1.) 
This is man's part in his sanctification. God will not reach 
down and remove a whiskey bottle or any other piece of 
defilement from the person of a man. God will not remove the 
filth and stench of evil habits from any man when the man is 
able to do that himself. It is a command from God that men 
cleanse themselves "from all filthiness of the flesh." This man 
can do, and God expects us to do it; we can not live the holy 
life until we do. 

10. Through Faith in Christ.—" Them whi^h are 

sanctified by faith that is in me" (Acts 26:18). The great 

'apostle held great faith in the Christ. It was this same faith 
which gave the great inheritance to the Gentiles. It was 
through faith in the crucified, risen, and victorious Christ 
which sanctified the Gentiles; and it is through this same faith 
that men are separated, sanctified today from a world of sin 
and evil. 

Time of Sanctification 

Just when or at what point in the Christian's experience 
sanctification takes place has caused concern and even cok- 
fusion in the minds of some. To teach that sanctification is 
an experience which comes only after a long struggle in the 
wilderness of failure and religious misery; that it is an exper- 
ience which can not be had at the time of Justification or 
conversion, but must come at some subsequent time is mis- 



SANCTIFICATION 265 

leading and unscriptural. On this point the Scriptures plainly 
teach : that, 

1. All Christians ARE sanctified. "Unto the Church 
of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in 

Christ Jesus, called to be saints but ye are washed, 

but ye arc sanctified, but ye are justified" (I Cor. 1:2; 6:11). 
"By the which will we are sanctified .... For by one offering 
He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified" (Heb. 
10:10, 14). "And they that are Christ's have crucified the 
flesh" (Gal. 5:24). "He that committeth sin is of the devil 
.... Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin" (I Jno. 
3:8, 9). "Without which (holiness) no man can see the Lord" 
(Heb. 12:14). There is not the slightest hint anywhere that 
men may be saved and yet not sanctified. Every Christian is 
sanctified already. Men who are not sanctified are not 
Christians. If a man is washed, justified, he is also sanctified. 
If he is not justified, neither is he sanctified. If a man is not 
sanctified, neither is he justified or washed. Christ made one 
offering, not two, to perfect men who are sanctified. This one 
offering, therefore, serves for both forgiveness and cleansing. 
The Holy Spirit does not come once to regenerate and then at 
some subsequent time to sanctify. Christ did not make two 
offerings : one to save from sin, and another to cleanse from 
sin. "The Christ who justifies is the same Christ who sancti- 
fies. By the same offering by which men are justified they are 
also sanctified, we can not accept the Justifier, without at the 
same time accepting the Sanctifier. Is Christ divided?" (Coff- 
man.) Christ was offered ONCE FOR ALL. And for this 
reason ALL Christians A.RE sanctified and have been from the 
very moment they became Christians. To become a Christian 
means to be separated from the world; and that is exacdy 
what is implied in sanctification. 

2. Men are sanctified when they surrender to God. 

(Rom. 12:1, 2.) Men are Christians whenever they surrender 
to God. If they surrender they are sanctified; if they are 
sanctified they are Christians. All very true, it takes some 



266 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

people weeks, and sometimes years, to surrender themselves to 
God; and just so long they are not saved either; they are not 
justified, neither 'sanctified; they are nothing but lost sinners. 
The man who does not surrender to God is really not His, and 
how can He bless him? If one surrenders his life to God as a 
living sacrifice God will not withhold any good thing from 
him: justification, sanctification, and all will be given of the 
Lord. 

3. Men are sanctified through all their Christian ex- 
perience: It is a progressive work. (Read I Thes. 3:12, 13, 
II Pet. 3:18; I Jno. 3:3.) The Christian life is one of 
actual growth. "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; 
he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon." Sanctification, in so 
far as Christian experience is concerned, is not a single 
experience which happens once for all as does justification. 
Men grow in grace, grow through all their natural life time. 
Men are under obligation to live the perfect life. Still "There 
is no such thing as perfect holiness in man; but there is such 
a thing as growing holiness, and growing holiness is increasing 
goodness of character, with increasing conformity thereto in 
conduct; this, until perfect holiness is attained, is what God 
requires of men." (Clark.) Holiness is a thing which needs 
"perfecting" in human life. II Cor. 7:1. The entire Christian 
experience is one of perfecting even the good within us. 

4. Sanctification is completed in the future. (Read II 
Cor. 7:1; I Thes. 5:23; 3:12, 13.) Note in Corinthians that 
holiness needs "perfecting" through this present life ; it is a 
progressive work. Note from the other references that nothing 
short of our Lord's return will bring full, final, and complete 
sanctification. When our Lord comes and we shall be with 
Him to abide with Him and to enjoy the inheritance with Him, 
then shall sanctification be complete. But so long as we are in 
the present life there must be a continual remaining separate 
from sin, a continual setting apart. Future sanctification will 
consist in separation from this evil world by entering a purified 



SANCTIFICATION 267 

one ; separation from this present evil body by the putting on 
of a glorified one. 

Manifestations of Christian Sanctification 

Sanctification, like conversion or regeneration, produces 
certain results. Some of the most evident are: 

1. Christian Perfection. — "For by one offering he hath 
perfected forever them that are sanctified" (Heb. 10:14). 
Christian perfection is a most evident result of sanctification. 
"Be ye therefore perfect," spoken by Christ, finds a possibility 
of realization through the offering of Christ. 

2. Union with, and Good Will of, Christ. — "For both 
he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one : 
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren" 
(Heb. 2:11). The sanctified person is united with Christ; he 
holds the good will of Christ, and Christ is not ashamed of 
him. This position no unsaved person can hold ; neither can 
an unjustified or unsanctified person. 

3. Eternal Inheritance. " And to give you an 

inheritance among all them which are sanctified" (Acts 20:32). 
The Father has great possessions ; and these shall be handed 
clown to His sons. Those who are joint-heirs with Christ, 
those who are sanctified, shall inherit them. No sanctification, 
no inheritance. 

4. Salvation. — " Because God hath from the 

beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the 
Spirit and belief of the truth" (II Thes. 2:13). Salvation 
after all is but a result of sanctification ; and all this is a gift 
of God. Where there is a person who has salvation, there is 
one who is sanctified. Where there is one who is sanctified 
there is one who has salvation. 

5. Seeing the Lord. (Read again Heb. 12:14, R. V.) 
An unholy, unsanctified person can not behold the face of an 
holy person. But the separated, sanctified life will one day 
see the Lord face to face. If there were no other fruits of 
sanctification it would still pay men to be sanctified for this 



268 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

one alone. The man who opposes holiness and sanctification 
has no warrant for ever seeing the Lord. 

6. Preparation for Service. — "If a man therefore purge 
himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified 
and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good 
work" (II Tim. 2:21). Again comes the question of man 
purging himself from evil. When this cleansing has taken 
place, when one is set apart, separated from sin and evil, then 
he becomes a vessel of honor, one suitable for service by the 
Master. God must have clean men, sanctified men, men who 
hold absolute purity as a standard of living, for His work. 

Some Erroneous Views Examined 

The doctrine of sanctification has furnished occasion for 
some extreme views. This can be accounted for from the fact 
that men have failed in taking the true meaning and interpreta- 
tion from the word sanctification. For instance, to make 
Israel's experience from Egypt to Canaan the picture of 
Christian sanctification is misleading. The picture fails utterly 
in this that Israel never did conquer the enemies of the land 
and in the end lost it entirely. This, no doubt, is a true 
picture of some people's experience. But this is not Christian 
sanctification. Men have read interpretations into the Word 
vvhich it never implied. Some of these extreme views are that 
sanctification means: 

1. Angelic Purity and Condition. — Men for some cause 
have drifted into the idea' that they would become like angels 
in about every respect when sanctified. But this view falls on 
its own sword. Men who have sinned can never be as a being 
who has never sinned. One day we shall be as the angels in 
one family ; we shall be like Christ. But sanctification does 
not place men in angelic conditions in the present life. Man, 
in this life, never attains a condition that he need not, with 
Paul, say, "I keep under my body." 

2. Adamic Condition before the Fall. — Others believe 
that when men are sanctified they regain what Adam lost 



SANCTIFICATTON 269 

through the fall and that we go back to the original innocence 
of man. But this is an utter impossibility, not only from a 
Scriptural but also a practical standpoint. When man has once 
sinned, he has sinned — and this fact can not be undone. Sin 
can be forgiven, but the fact remains. Very true, man may be. 
justified and in the eyes o* God as good as though he had 
never sinned, but he can never return to innocence. That 
flaming sword of conscience will never permit man to return to 
the garden of innocence. There is a better place for man : 
viz., the Holy City. 

3. Inability to Sin. — Perhaps this is among the most 
dangerous views. When men believe that sanctification means 
no more possibility to sin they are already on the verge of. 
falling. Certainly a man who is sanctified, can of his own free 
will, transgress and fall into sin. This statement is proved 
from the very fact that sanctified men have fallen. Sanctified 
men are still free moral beings and can do as they choose. A 
man is no less a being of free choice because he is sanctified. 
John very correctly said, "Whosoever is born of God. doth not 
commit sin ; for his seed remaineth in him : and he can not 
sin, because he is born of God." But it was not the thought 
of John that men could not walk away from God if they 
chose to do so. His thought was that regenerated men, sancti- 
fied men, would not knowingly practice sin. 

The writer of Hebrews deals with this point when ne says, 
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and. 
have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of 
the Holy Ghost, and have tasted of the good word of God, and 
the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to 
renew them again unto repentance ; seeing they crucify to 
themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open 
shame" (Heb. 6:4-6). Certainly no one can say that these 
persons were not thoroughly saved ; and yet there was a 
possibility of their falling away eternally. 

4. Freedom from Temptation. — This is another viey 
which falls by its own weight. If men can get into a position 



270 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

where they have no temptations then they have higher attain- 
ments than angels or even the Son of God. Jesus Himself was 
tempted in all points like as man. Sanctification does not 
imply the idea that men will be free from temptation. There 
is no special virtue about a life free from temptation. The 
greatest virtue lies in enduring temptation with the power and 
determination to overcome. Men bring discredit upon the 
doctrine of sanctification when they advocate that it removes 
all temptation. 

5. A Definite Subsequent Work. It is all very true, 
some men have a definite experience at some time in their 
Christian life. Isaiah had been preaching five years when he 
received the great experience in Isaiah 6; but he did not go 
about teaching that all men in order to be right must have the 
same experience. The Church at Ephesus had side-stepped; 
she had left (not lost) her first love; and the Lord directed 
that she "repent, and do the first works" (Rev. 2:5). The 
experience of this church, without doubt, has been the exper- 
ience of many people. The experience we dare not question ; 
but to teach that such definite experience constitutes Christian 
sanctification in every individual case is erroneous. "By ONE 
offering He hath perfected FOREVER THEM THAT ARE 
SANCTIFIED" (Heb. 10:14). 

6. That Men can be Justified and yet not Sanctified. 

But in answer to this view what saith Rom. 5:1? "Therefore 
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our 
Lord Jesus Christ." It is evident from this text that if we 
have peace with God then the work is done. If one has peace 
with God then the relation- between man and God are as good 
as they can be made. Any one who can read Rom. 5 :1 can 
know this to be true. If a man is justified he has peace; if 
he has peace he is also justified. If he has no peace, neither 
is he justified; if he is not justified, neither is he sanctified. 
If he have any one of the three he has all the rest. The Word 
of God says that the justified man has peace with God. 
Certainly sanctification can do nothing more than bring peace. 



S ANCTIFICATI ON 271 

In conclusion, then, we say that sanctification, in the strict 
sense of the term, means separation ; that there are several 
kinds of sanctification ; that the means of sanctification are 
superhuman, being a work of God; that sanctification is an 
experience co-temporary with conversion and regeneration, in 
other words is a result of these ; that all Christians ARE 
sanctified and that without sanctification men are not saved. 

TO HIM BE GLORY AND HONOR 

FOR HIS WONDERFUL PLAN OF 

REDEMPTION 



CHAPTER IX 

ADOPTION 

As many as received Him, to them gave he 
power to become the sons of God, even to them 
that believe on his name. — Jno. 1:12. 

The word "adoption" comes from the Greek "huiothesia," 
and means, "placing as a son." The word is used five times in 
the New Testament as follows: Rom. 8:15, 23; 9:40; Gal. 
4:5; Eph. 1:5. 

The word "adoption" literally means the act of receiving a 
stranger, a foreigner, into a family other than that in which he 
or she was born, and the bestowing upon him or her of all the 
privileges and rights belonging to a natural born and legitimate 
child. This is what we mean by "adoption :" That through the 
divine plan of God we as foreigners and aliens are acknowl- 
edged to be of the number of the children of God and receive 
all the rights and privileges of His children. 

While it is difficult at times to distinguish the border lines 
between justification, regeneration and adoption; that is, to 
tell where one ends and the other begins, yet there is a marked 
difference as to the nature and work of each. But the question 
as to where the one ends and the other begins is one of little 
importance and the endeavor by some to thus distinguish has 
caused not a little confusion. But it should be carefully 
remembered, as noted before, that justification consists in the 
pardon of guilt, the lifting of the penalty of the law, the 
"speaking" one just ; that regeneration is the making of a new 
creature, the renovation of the sinful and unholy; and that 
adoption is the further act of God by which we as aliens are 
received into the family of God and acknowledged as His own 
legitimate children. 

It should further be remembered that in regeneration we 



ADOPTION 273 

receive a new nature, that of sons of God. In adoption we 
receive a new position, that of sons of God. Regeneration 
means a change of nature; adoption means a change of 
position. 

New Testament Doctrine 
There are numerous doctrines which find expression in the 
Old as well as the New Testament. But with adoption it is 
somewhat different. Christian adoption is peculiarly a New 
Testament doctrine. The word appears but five times and then 
in every case m the New Testament. It is true there are 
frequent references in the Old Testament which carry the idea 
of adoption, but when expressly referred to it is found in the 
New Testament. 

1. The Fountain-head of Adoption. — (Read Eph. 1: 
3-6.) The source of our adoption is after all the love and 
mercy of God. It was God who before the foundation of the 
world chose us to De His children. Even though we have 
wandered away, whia. He well knew we would do, yet, He 
had chosen us to become His children. 

2. Who may Claim Adoption. — "For after that faith is 
come, we ar^. no longer under a school-master. For ye are ail 
the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:25, 26). 
"As many as received Him, to them gave he power to become 
the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (Jno. 
1:12 — Read also Gal. 4:4-7). In the first place, it is clear 
that those of faith are no longer under the school-master, but 
are already the adopted sons of God; the faithful are already 
the children of God. According to John, as many as receive 
Him, to them is given power to become the sons of God ; they 
are accepted into the family with full privileges of sons. Paul 
in Gal. 4 speaks largely to Jewish Christians, those redeemed 
from under the law. The Gentile never was under "the" law, 
neither judged by "the" law, but by "a" law written in their 
hearts (Rom. 2:14, 15), and peculiarly this law was the same 
as the law written on tables of stone. Both Jews and Gentiles 
were under law ; both may be adopted as sons. 



274 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

3. When the Believer becomes a Son. (Read Gal. 3: 
25, 26; 4:6, 7; I Jno. 3:1, 2). The "when" of this question. 
may be answered by saying that after faith comes then adop- 
tion takes place. Whenever the Spirit of God comes into our 
lives then we call Him "Father," and that means that we have 
been adopted. John says that we are NOW the sons of God. 
Adoption has taken place when we have a living faith in Him; 
when the Spirit comes into our lives and when we can call him 
"Father." And this means that at present we are full heirs to 
God's possessions ; that we are joint heirs with Christ. 

4. Complete Adoption is yet Future. — "And not only 
they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, 
even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the 
adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body" (Rom. 8:23). 
It will not be until our Lord comes that we will be fully and 
finally released from the limitations of earth. We are sons- 
now, very true ; but redemption finds its completion in the 
future. Paul speaks of the redemption of the body for which 
we must wait. 

5. Certificate of Sonship.— (Read Gal. 3:23-26; 4:6; 
Rom. 8:15, 16.) The first certificate of sonship is the Spirit 
of God who bears witness with our spirits that we are the sons 
of God. The second certificate is faith, and the third is the 
ability to call Him "Father." When we hold these three 
witnesses we have sufficient certification to the fact that we 
have received adoption. 

The Blessings of Adoption 

1. Membership in the Family of God. — (I Jno. 1:3.) 
It will not be possible to enumerate all the blessings which 
come in the family of God. It is worth something to know and 
believe as adopted children that we have fellowship in the great 
family of believers and saints of all ages. The child who has 
a natural home in which to dwell has a great advantage over 
the child with no home. It is even more true with the one 
who has a spiritual home. The spiritual tramp, the religiously 



ADOPTION 275 

•disinherited man, has nothing to hope for. To be a member 
in the great family of God carries blessing which eternity alone 
will reveal. 

2. All the Privileges of the Children of God.— When 
■one is adopted into the family of God he receives all the 
privileges that go with the natural child. And all this means : 

First : That our needs are supplied. " No good 

thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Psa. 
84:11). While the word "adoption" is not found in this 
reference, yet it is implied. Those who walk uprightly are 
His children, and His promise is that He will not hold any 
good thing from them. This means that all our needs — not 
necessarily all or wants, but — all our needs will be supplied. 
Why should His children fear or fret about tomorrow when 
we have a Father who knows our needs and has promised to 
supply them? The innocent child never frets about tomorrow 
but fully trusts in the parent. This is the great privilege of 
the adopted children of God. 

Second: Protection. (See Isa. 43:2, 3.) Again we do 
not have the word adoption used in this reference, but never- 
theless it gives us God's attitude toward His children. It 
matters not how deep or troublesome the waters of adversity, 
the Lord is still with His children to protect them. The 
rivers of temptation or disappointment shall not overflow His 
children. The fiery trials through which they must walk shall 
not hurt them. The Lord is our Savior and He will protect. 
Third: Correction. (See Heb. 12:5-8.) To be corrected 
is a thing which every child in the natural sense expects of 
the parent. The child who is never corrected by the parent 
generally fails in life. The same principle holds in matters 
spiritual. The children of God must expect to be chastened 
and corrected by God. God deals with us as sons, and that 
means correction at times. The fact that we have become sons 
of Gocl is no warrant that we will no more make mistakes or 
failures ; a son is still apt to make mistakes for which he 
needs correction. 



27 x 6 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Fourth : Instruction. "But the Comforter, which is the 
Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall 
teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, 
whatsoever J have said unto you" (Jno. 14:26). Christ here 
was speaking to His adopted children. He promises to send 
them a teacher. And what less can we expect in our ignorance 
and short-sightedness? The Father will educate His children. 
The natural parent who fails to educate his children is doing 
a great injustice to them. But God makes no such blunders, 
He takes the place of a spiritual Father and promises to teach 
and educate His children in the school of Christian experience 
and Christian knowledge. This is one of the greatest blessings 
of sonship. To sit at His feet and learn of Him is among the 
greatest blessings of earth. 

Fifth : Eternal inheritance. "And if children, then heirs ; 
heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17). The 
natural child expects to inherit something from the estate of 
the parent. He has an absolute right to expect that in the 
father's will a portion of the property will be given over to 
him. It is none the less true in the spiritual sense. The 
adopted sons become heirs of God ; joint-heirs with Christ. 
This inheritance will be an eternal inheritance and we shall be 
glorified together with Christ. 

Manifest Results of Adoption 

Adoption, like all the foregoing doctrines, when it finds 
place in human life produces results. By its fruit ye shall 
know it is also true of this doctrine. Some of the evident 
fruits are : 

1. The indwelling Spirit. — "Because ye are sons, God 
hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, 
Abba, Father" (Gal. 4:6). The natural child as a rule portrays 
the spirit of the parent. As is the parent, so in many cases is 
the child. The same principle holds in matters spiritual ; the 
Spirit of His Son dwells in His children. When the Spirit of 
God is found in one it is evident that such person is a member 
of the family of God. 



ADOPTION 277 

2. Deliverance from Bondage and Fear. — "For ye have 
not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have 
received the spirit of adoption" (Rom. 8:15). The child is not 
a slave; slaves are taken from among: strangers and foreigners. 
A child has nothing to fear. In the family of God the same 
principle holds true. When we as strangers and foreigners are 
adopted as His children there can be no more bondage and 
fear. Shoes are placed on our feet. We are dressed with the 
best robes; we become real sons of God, and all bondage and 
fear is taken away. 

3. Redemption from the Law. — (See again Gal. 4:4-6 
and 3:25, 26.) As noted before, these words were spoken to 
Jewish Christians; it was the Jew who was under the law. 
But they may be spoken of the Gentile believer as well in that 
they have also been under "a law" (Rom. 2:14). But since 
we have been adopted into the family of God we have been 
redeemed from the law, and spend our days in grace. We no 
longer tremble under the thunderings and lightnings of Sinai, 
but we rest in quietness under the love, mercy, and grace of 
Calvary. 

4. Heirship to All that belongs to God.— (Rom. 8:17.) 
This point we have noted already under the blessings of adop- 
tion; but it is an evident result of adoption as well as one of 
the blessings. As spiritual children of His we fall heir to all 
which belongs to the Father. "The meek shall inherit the 
earth." 

In conclusion, may we remember that as children of God, 
a work of His grace, we owe to Him perfect obedience and 
reverence. We owe to Him everything and to Him it should 
be rendered. Let us wait patiently for the day of the Loro. 
when we shall inherit the kingdom prepared for us from the 
foundation of the world. Certainly we can ask no more when 
He has given to us the earth and will also give to us tfco King- 
dom. 



PART IV 



The Church 



CHAPTERS 

I THE CHURCH Daniel Kauffman 

II THE MINISTRY D. H. Bender 

III THE CONGREGATION D. H. Bender 



THE CHURCH 

The wisdom and love of God are manifested not only in 
providing a plan of salvation by which all who will may be 
rescued from sin and its awful consequences, but also in 
providing an earthly spiritual home for all who accept the 
terms of the Gospel. In this home the children of God are 
kept and strengthened in common service and fellowship, and 
the cause of Christ is strengthened as His followers unite in 
a common effort to bring the Gospel to all people. 

The Church is a divine institution of which Christ is 
the Head and His people are the component parts. It is the 
organization through which God works to make known His 
Word and will to man, which Christ organized to carry on 
:he work of salvation, in which the Holy Ghost moves in 
choosing the Bride of the Lamb. As we study this organiza- 
tion we are at once impressed with its simplicity and its com- 
pleteness for effective work. God provides for thorough, yet 
not for needless nor cumbersome organization. The Church 
provides for the temporal and spiritual welfare of all its 
members. It provides for the effective preaching of the Gos- 
pel to both saved and unsaved, and if its provisions are full} 
carried out all the saved and unsaved in every nation will 
hear of the power of Christ to save. The Church Militant is 
the advance agent telling the world of the triumph of the 
Cross and of the Church Triumphant in glory. 

In the following chapters the Church is considered from 
three points of view: (1) the Church as a whole, (2) the 
ministry, (3) the membership. 



CHAPTER I 

THE CHURCH 

Upon this ROCK I will build my Church; and 
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. — Matt. 
16:18. 

Definitions. — The word "Church" is thought to have 
been handed down from the Greeks to the Goths, the first 
among the Teutonic tribes to embrace the Christian faith. 
The Greek word for Church, "ecclesia," means an assembly- 
called out by authority. This is also the Bible idea which 
recognizes the Church of God as "a chosen generation" (I Pet. 
2:9), "a peculiar people" (Tit. 2:14). The word, in common 
usage, may mean a house of worship, a congregation, a 
denomination, or the collective body of which Christ is the 
Head. The Bible recognizes the word in two senses: (1) the 
congregation; as, "the churches of Galatia" (I Cor. 16:1), 
"the seven churches of Asia" (Rev. 1 :4) : (2) the whole 
body of believers; as "He is the head of the body, the church" 
(Col. 1:18). 

The visible Church is the Church on earth as man sees 
it. 

The Church militant is composed of those members who 
as an aggressive force are waging the warfare of righteousness 
against sin. 

The Church of Christ is the body of believers of the 
present dispensation. 

The innumerable body of overcomers whose faith in Christ 
gives them a part in that complete and final victory culminating 
in the eternal reign of Christ and His people is known as the 
Church triumphant. 



282 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Historical and Prophetical 

The Church before Christ. — From the creation of Adam 
there was communion between God and man. In connection 
with Seth's first-born son it is said, "Then began men to call 
upon the name of the Lord" (Gen. 4:26). There is evidence of 
congregational worship very early in the history of man. 
Stephen refers to "the church in the wilderness" (Acts 7:38). 
David testifies, "In the midst of the congregation (Church) 
will I praise thee" (Psa. 22:22). The tabernacle, the temple, 
and later the synagogue, were erected for the convenience of 
the Church in worship. From the calling of Abraham God had 
a distinctive body of people on earth to promulgate His Word 
and glorify His name. 

The Church of Christ. — The work of John the Baptist 
as the forerunner of Christ, and the work of Christ Himself in 
providing for the further organization of the Church by the 
appointment and instruction of the twelve and the promulgation 
of His Gospel form an important chapter in the history of the 
Church of God upon earth. It was at Pentecost that the 
Church received its enduement of power and as the mystical 
body of Christ began its work of making known to the world 
the will of God to men. In this body, the Church, all the 
living people of God have a home in which they are built up in 
the faith of Jesus Christ and in which they unite their forces 
for the evangelization of the world. Christ, the Head of the 
body, is the great Antitype to which the types and figures of 
the Old Testament point, the great Messiah to whom the 
faithful under the Old Dispensation looked forward in faith 
and whom the faithful under the New Dispensation accept a<* 
their Savior and Redeemer. He is the "foundation of the 
apostles and prophets," "the chief corner-stone" and "head of 
the Church," the solid Rock upon which we may build and live 
forever. 

John the Baptist was the chosen vessel of God to prepare; 
the way for the establishment of the Christian Church. Him- 
self in the line of the Levitical priesthood, he consecrated 
Christ into His priestly office, (Matt. 3:13-17) and Christ in 



THE CHURCH 283 

turn became the Head of the new priesthood after the order 
of Melchisedec. Heb. 6:20. 

As the Head of the new priesthood Christ preached His 
Gospel, ordained and instructed the twelve, offered Himself as 
a ransom for the sins of the world, tasted death for every man. 
rose from the tomb triumphant over every foe, proved Himself 
alive after His passion "by many infallible proofs," after which 
He ascended to glory. 

After Christ's ascension the disciples went back to Jerusa- 
lem, continued steadfastly in prayer until they were endued 
with power from on high, since which time the Church, quick- 
ened and guided by the Holy Spirit, has been at work in 
spreading the Gospel of salvation and endeavoring to bring the 
world to Christ. This work will continue until Christ will 
come the second time to receive to Himself the elect of all 
the ages. 

Marriage of the Bride and the Lamb. — The present 
work of the Church is to get ready for the great event which 
will change the activities of the Church from a wrestling with 
principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high 
places to a glorious and never-ending reign with Jesus Christ 
our Lord. All things having been completed, the Bride having 
been chosen, the Lord Jesus Christ will come as a bride-groom 
and the glorious indissoluble union (as a marriage between a 
bride and groom) will take place. See Matt. 25:1-11; Rev. 
19:6-9; 21:2, 9. One look at this inspiring scene, some time 
for meditation upon this glorious event awaiting all the faithful, 
and we are ready for the consideration of another important 
part of our subject. 

Church Organization 

God the Author. — Our God is a God of order. There is 
system in all He does. You notice it in the creation, in the 
operation of both natural and spiritual laws, in His dealings 
with the Church of Israel, in His government of the Church 
of Christ. Christ, who came a God in the flesh, was orderly 
in all that He did. He was scrupulous in His obedience 



284 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

to law. After His work was sufficiently advanced He ordained 
twelve men to be His apostles, whom He instructed and trained 
to carry on the work after He was gone, giving them specific 
instructions not to proceed until they should receive the endue- 
ment of power. 

After Pentecost the work of organization was continued. 
As officers were needed they were ordained. Paul writes to the 
Corinthians saying, "Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's 
building." To the Ephesians he writes, "And he (God) gave 
some, apostles ; and some, prophets ; and some, evangelists ; 
and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of saints, 
for the work of the ministry," etc. The power of the Church 
is evident when we read such striking assertions as "The 
gates of hell shall not prevail against it;" "Whatsoever ye 
shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven." "Whose soever 
sins ye shall remit they are remitted unto them; and whose 
soever sins ye retain they are retained." Recognizing these 
truths it is not hard to see that whatever is done by a Spirit- 
directed Church is the work of the Lord. 

Organization of the Apostolic Church. — Acting in ac- 
cordance with the instructions and inspiration of their Head, 
the apostles began at once the work of organization. While 
waiting for the promise of the Father they ordained Matthias 
to the apostleship. Acts 1 : 15-22. When they were no longer 
able to attend to all the work of the ministry they brought the 
matter before the Church and seven deacons were chosen to 
assist them. Acts 6:1-6. Later on, as the work increased and 
burdens became more complex, still further organization became 
necessary and we read of bishops, elders, evangelists, pastors, 
teachers, etc. While it is true that the calling of these was 
the work of the Church, it is also true that God "gave" them. 
Eph. 4:11. See also Acts 13:2. In studying the history of 
the apostolic Church we have clear evidence that God intends 
that the Church should choose such public servants as are 
needed in carrying on rhe work of the Lord. 

Purpose of Organization. — In Eph. 4:11-16 Paul very 
forcibly states the reasons for God's providing for the 



THE CHURCH 285 

organization of the Church : "And he gave some, apostles ; and 
some, prophets ; and some, evangelists ; and some, pastors and 
teachers; for the perfecting of saints, for the work of the 
ministry, for the edifying of the body of .Christ: till we all 
come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the 
Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the 
.stature of the fulness of Christ' 1 (Read the entire chapter.) 
Notice the four reasons mentioned: (1) "for the perfecting of 
saints;" (2) "for the work of the ministry;" (3) "for the 
edifying of the body;" (4) for the purpose of bringing the 
•entire membership into a "unity of the faith, and of knowledge 
-of the Son of God." 

The history of the Church has often demonstrated the 
wisdom of God in providing for the organization of His people 
into a working body. Bodies of believers who cry down 
■organization are as a rule short-lived. The disorganization of 
the Church into numerous divisions and subdivisions is not 
only a sad commentary upon the disloyalty of those calling 
themselves Christians but is a direct barrier in the way of 
spiritual progress and conquest. Had the spirit as taught in 
Luke 9:23 and exemplified in Acts 2:41, 42 and Acts 15:6-32 
been put into universal practice since the days of Christ there 
would be but one perfect organization in one body of loyal 
-members of the Church of Jesus Christ. 

Present Day Application. — By authority of Jesus Christ 
and the teaching and example of the apostolic Church there 
rests upon us the clear duty of keeping the Church well 
organized and well disciplined. In every congregation there 
should be provisions made whereby the Gospel is proclaimed, 
the needy cared for, the flock shepherded, the unsaved reached 
with the Gospel and the work extended to needy places within 
reach. Church leaders need to be in frequent counsel, for "in 
the multitude of counsellors there is safety." Hence the 
necessity of conferences, which serve as an effective force in 
promoting unity of faith, uniformity in methods of work and 
multiplied power for service. There being questions in which 
the entire Church is interested, there should be a central body 



286 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

(in these days called a "General Conference") in which the- 
entire Church is represented. 

The organization should be simple, of course, as in apos- 
tolic times. As a .means to an end, church organization is an 
excellent thing; as an end in itself, it becomes cumbersome - 
machinery. Like every other good thing, it may be overdone. 
The way some churches are loaded down with officers, commit- 
tees, departments, movements, etc., these supplemented with* 
inter-denominational, non-denominational and anti-denomina- 
tional enterprises and movements, is simply astonishing. Let 
us keep right on this question. With a clear vision of the 
work before us, let us organize with a view to accomplishing 
this most effectively, leaving all superficialities to those who - 
are not so vitally concerned in the great problem of bringing 
the whole Gospel to all people. 

Summing up the subject of church organization, it is 
safe to say that every properly organized church has a Church- 
wide organization which through a General Conference gives 
voice to questions and problems affecting the welfare of the ■ 
entire Church ; district conferences, assuming more direct 
charge over problems especially affecting the work in their 
respective districts; congregations for convenience in worship 
and service; mission stations from which to send the Gospel 
light into the dark corners of the earth. As for the congrega- 
tion, it is but good business sense applied to spiritual affairs 
to have it well supplied with ministers, deacons and such other 
officers as are needed to carry on its work in the most effective 
way. 

Gospel Requirements for Admission 

The popular idea of church membership is to accord that 
privilege to all who wish to unite. We say amen to the idea — 
provided that all applicants meet the Gospel requirements. The 
Church, as the home for converted people, should call upon all' 
unsaved to "repent and be converted," after which a hearty 
invitation should be extended to all the new-born babes in/. 
Christ to take their place in the Gospel home. But the idea 



THE CHURCH 287 

that the Church is simply a convenient organization for social, 
business, or political associations should never be tolerated. 
If it is reform organizations and social clubs that people want, 
they can find them in abundance outside the Church. If it is 
. an earthly home for converted people that they want, they can 
find it only in the Church, and before seeking to unite they 
should see to it that they have forsaken the world and given 
their hearts to God. The Bible teaches the following conditions 
for membership : 

1. Faith. — When the eunuch wanted to know what did 
hinder him from being baptized Philip replied, "If thou 
believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." To the trembling 
jailer who wanted to know what he must do to be saved the re- 
ply was, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." Having met the 
condition they were baptized. Faith is essential to salvation. 
"Without faith it is impossible to please him." "By grace are 
ye saved through faith." Without salvation no one can belong 
to the Church of Jesus Christ, and should not belong to the 
visible Church. Baptism without faith is mockery. 

2. Repentance. — John the Baptist demanded evidences 
of repentance before he was willing to baptize. Matt. 3 :7, 8. 
Peter exhorted the convicted and inquiring multitude to "repent 

. and be baptized." These are two among many instances in the 
life and labors of the followers of Christ which establish the 
fact that repentance should always precede admission into the 

• Church. Receive a man into the Church simply because he is 
willing to unite, and the chances are that you have an 
Ananias, a Simon the sorcerer, or some other unconverted 
man. Receive him because he has repented of his sins and 
turned to God, and you know that you have a converted 
member. They who have not repented of their sins are counted 

• out of the kingdom of heaven, and ought not to be deceived 
with false hope by being received into the visible Church. 
This emphasizes the necessity of obeying our Savior's com- 
mandment to preach "repentance and remission of sins" among 
all people. 

3. Conversion. — True repentance results in true conver- 



288 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

sion. Peter understood this when he said, "Repent ye there- 
fore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" 
(Acts 3:19). Conversion is one of the essentials of salvation 
and should therefore be considered an essential to admission 
into the Church. Paul was baptized after the scales had 
dropped from his eyes. Cornelius and his house were baptized 
after there were undoubted evidences that they had received 
the light. It is an injustice, both to the Church and to the 
applicant, to receive any one into the fold before there are 
evidences of conversion — injustice to the Church, because it 
plants more of the leaven of wickedness into it; injustice to 
the applicant, because it encourages him to entertain false 
hopes. 

4. Obedience. — From the time a soul surrenders to God 
there is obedience in his heart. Christ says, "Ye are my 
friends, if ye do wnatsoever I command you." You may ask, 
"What has that to do with an applicant for baptism, before he 
has an opportunity to manifest his obedience by works?" We- 
answer, "We should look for an obedient attitude to God from 
the time the first public profession of Christ is made. Who- 
ever surrenders to God is willing from the start to do just as 
God would have him do. The convert that comes dictating the 
terms upon which he or she is willing to be received is a 
convert only in name, while self is still the ruling power., 
Such a person, if received into Church that way, is liable to 
keep on dictating terms after being in the Church. Be slow to 
receive into church fellowship any one who does not manifest 
a spirit of submission, a willingness to do what God and the 
Church desire. 

Church Government 

Christ the Head. — There can be no perfect body without 
a head to which every member of the body is subject. In the 
work of the Church we are apt to pass by the real Head — 
Christ (Col. 1 :18) — and look for that office in some man or 
men. Have you ever meditated seriously upon what Christ is 
to the Church? He is the Head (Col. 1:18), Chief Corner- 
stone (Eph. 2:20), Lord and Master (Jno. 13:13), Door (Jno.. 



THE CHURCH 289 

10:9), the Way (Jno. 14:6), Shepherd and Bishop (I Pet. 
2:25), etc. — certainly an important Personage in the Church* 
He is our "all and in all," and should be recognized in all we 
do. He being the Head, we recognize Him as having supreme 
authority in matters of government, men being appointed in 
their several stations in the Church to carry out the will of the 
Head. It is well that we bear these things in mind, else our 
church government is liable to become man-made instead of 
heaven-inspired. Bishops, elders, deacons, preachers, confer- 
ences, church institutions — all are but means in God's hands to 
carry out His will among men, or they have usurped authority, 
and self-imposed importance which does not belong to them. 

A Place for every Member and every Member in His 
Place. — In the body of Christ all are stewards, but not all 
stewards have the same office. As there are multiplied duties 
to be performed and responsibilities to be borne, so there are 
diversities of gifts bestowed upon different members; and if 
God has full control over every member of the body, for every 
duty to perform there is a qualified saint to perform it. 
Hence — 

1. There needs to be much praying and heart-searching 
and light-seeking on the part of each member that we may all 
know that we are fully upon the altar, ready to do what God 
wants us to do. 

2. We need to keep in close touch with our brethren, in 
close touch with the Word, and in close touch with God Him- 
self, so that in the selection of brethren to fill the various 
stations in the Church we may select those who are God-called 
and qualified for the work. 

3. When the Church is prayerful and active in the work 
of the Lord, a call from the Church should be recognized as a 
call from God. 

4. Each member should apply himself earnestly, prayer- 
fully, unselfishly, and trustfully that he may perform his duties 
to the glory of God and the highest interests of the Churchy 

5. Each member should be loyally supported in the work 
to which he has been called. In strengthening the hands of our 



290 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

bishops, ministers, deacons, teachers, superintendents, janitors, 
trustees, choristers, evangelists, missionaries, and other mem- 
bers by giving them loyal support we are also strengthening the 
Church and winning added numbers to the fold of Christ. 

A church that is properly organized and inspired has 
work for each member. Only a small part of the membership 
is needed for officials, but there is no end of opportunity in 
the way of prayer, Bible study, church attendance, personal 
work, helping the needy, distribution of literature, etc. Most 
of those who complain that there is not enough for them to do 
are not willing to take hold and perform the service right at 
their door. Some people are so near-sighted that they can see 
no work outside their own neighborhood, while others are so 
far-sighted that they fail to see the great work to be done right 
at home. When a congregation gets so large that it is 
impossible to put every member to work at home it is an 
evidence that it should either extend its sphere of influence to 
surrounding communities or send some of its members td 
other and more needy fields of labor. God wants no idlers. * 
It means a waste of time, a waste of souls. 

Another thought worthy of our consideration is that 
ambition is a positive hindrance to the progress of the cause 
Place-hunters seldom hunt the places which God would havd 
them occupy. Let the Head do the placing, and the members 
of the body will be placed right. 

Restoration of the Erring. — This is one of the most 
important and most tedious problems connected with church 
government. What makes it so difficult is the fact that as a 
rule those in error fail to see the gravity of their sins. When 
one has gone wrong there is usually more pride than penitence 
in the heart, so that he prefers to cling to his errors rather than 
to suffer the humiliation of a confession. In this, as well as, 
in all other church problems, the Bible tells us how to proceed. 
Difficulties may be classified into three divisions as follows : 

1. Cases in which some one holds something against you. 
Your instructions are found in Matt. 5 :23, 24. Take your first 
opportunity to carry them out. But you say that you haven't 



THE CHURCH 291 

done anything worth mentioning. Thank God for that; it will 
make the reconciliation so much the easier. But you say that 
he ought to come to you. So he ought, if he were right. 
But since you confess that he is not, but believe that you are, 
God appeals to you as the stronger of the two to win your 
weaker brother. What if you fail? Then it would be in order 
to take the matter up prayerfully to see whether in all that you 
did you were in the spirit of reconciliation and acted wisely 
and without bias. If so, then you have the satisfaction of 
knowing that you did your duty. If not, try again. If you 
love him, you will watch and pray for an opportunity to try 
it again with better success. 

2. Cases in which some one has offended against you. 
Your instruction is found in Matt. 18:15-17. But you say, 
"It is the other man who is in error; therefore it is his place 
to come to me and make it right." Grant it. But your are 
also in error if you fail to take God at His word and GO. 
But first consider carefully whether the alleged wrong is so 
serious that it ought not to be overlooked; and if you decide 
that it can not be left go in slience, then take the matter to 
God in prayer before you attempt your reconciliation. Pray 
the Lord for grace, that you may go, not as an insulted man, 
but as a friendly brother wishing to win the transgressor from 
the error of his way. Failing alone, enlist the services of some 
brother or brethren. Failing in that, enlist the help of the 
Church. Again you say, "It's no use." How do you know 
until you have tried it? Many a little misunderstanding which 
might have been settled easily if taken in time and in the 
Gospel way has been allowed to grow and to fester until whole 
congregations have been thrown into confusion. The wisdom 
of God is unfailing. Follow Matt. 18:15-17 in the spirit of 
love and prayer. 

3. Cases in zvhich you are not personally connected. "Ye 
which are spiritual" have an advice given in Gal. 6:1. The 
restoration of the erring is a great work, and all who know the 
love of God and are burdened for the welfare of souls should 



292 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

miss no opportunity to help keep the entire brotherhood in the 
best possible spiritual condition. 

As we study the above scriptural rules for the restoration 
of the erring, we are impressed with the fact that the Church i 
seldom mentioned. The only place where it is mentioned is in 
Matt. 18, and that only after all individual efforts have been 
made in good faith and failed. Never take these troubles 
before the Church except as a last resort. 

Forms of Church Government 

The three forms of church government in most common 
use are the Episcopal, or government by popes or bishops ; 
Presbyterian, or government by presbyteries, synods, or con- 
ferences ; and Congregational, or government by congregations. 

Episcopal Government. — The most conspicuous example 
of this form of government is found in the Catholic Church, 
where the voice of the pope, who by his followers is held to be 
infallible, is the supreme law of the Church. The Catholic 
Church is divided into "principalities over which cardinals, 
apostolic delegates, archbishops, bishops, etc., hold full sway, 
subordinate to their superiors but absolute in their rule over 
those who are under them. The Episcopal Church is modeled 
largely after the Catholic Church in mode of government, and 
a number of other churches (like the Methodist Episcopal, for 
instance) have a form of government modeled largely after 
that of the Episcopal. 

Presbyterian Government. — In this form the functions 
of government are performed by presbyteries, synods, confer- 
ences, committees, or other representative bodies instead of by 
popes, cardinals, bishops, etc. The most conspicuous example 
of this form is the Presbyterian Church, although a number of 
other churches (Lutherans, for example) are governed largely 
in the same manner. 

Congregational Government. — In t'his form the authority 
of the congregation is recognized as supreme, and each congre- 
gation assumes the right to make any rules and regulations that 
it sees scriptural and wise, entirely independent of sister 



THE CHURCH 293 

si uijoj siq; 3-I3HAV *3Sjb[ ie ipjnq;}, aq; jo jo suoiibJ§3jSuod- 
recognized a member may be in good standing in one con- 
gregation and ineligible to membership in some neighboring 
congregation, yet both congregations be in good standing with 
the Church at large. As examples of this form of government 
the Baptists and Congregationalists are the most pronounced. 

New Testament Church Government. — As we study the 
church government which prevailed in the apostolic Church we 
are convinced that it was neither exclusively Episcopalian, nor 
exclusively Presbyterian, nor exclusively Congregational. Each 
of these three forms has some merits, but each used exclusively 
leads to abuses which are not best for the welfare of the cause. 
Strict Episcopalianism leads to popery while strict Congrega- 
tionalism destroys unity in the Church as a whole. Yet we 
need enough of the former for efficient leadership and enough 
of the latter for safety and to bring the matter of personal 
responsibility home to each member. 

As an example of apostolic church government let us turn 
to Acts 15. There was contention at Antioch. It had grown 
to an extent that the home congregation alone could not cope 
with it. What was done? Did the home congregation take the 
matter into its own hands? Yes. To take a final vote and 
compel every member to submit or get out? No. Did they 
submit the question to some great pope or archbishop to settle 
it? They had no such officer in the Church. The question at 
issue being one that affected the whole Church, they made a 
whole-Church affair out of it and sent representatives to Jeru- 
salem. There "the apostles and elders" together with "all the 
multitude" met in conference and the question was considered 
in the light of Scripture. Being a question of theology, the 
discussion was confined to those in whose keeping was the 
expounding of the Gospel; but the whole Church was given a 
voice before it was through with, as is evident from the 
following: "Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the 
whole church" to send representatives to Antioch to explain 
matters there saying, "It seemed good to us, being assembled 
with one accord," to send these men, etc. Arriving at Antioch, 



294 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

these messengers delivered to "the multitude" the decision oij 
conference, and the same was unanimously approved by the 
Church at Antioch. 

This is but one instance showing how the apostolic Church 
was governed. A careful study of this chapter, and of the 
epistolary writings, convinces us — 

1. That local questions were taken care of by the local 
congregation. 

2. That questions affecting the welfare of the general 
Church were considered in meetings where the general Church 
was represented and had a voice. 

3. That those who were set over the Church as overseers' 
and expounders of the faith were entrusted with the responsible 
task of interpreting Scripture. 

4. That the whole Church had a part in ratifying con- 
clusions and in directing the affairs of the Church generally) 

5. That in matters congregational, as in the case of the 
ordination of deacons (Acts 6:1-6), the congregation acted 
authoritatively under the leadership of those who were placec^ 
over them in the Lord. 

6. That the ordination of elders in every church was 
favored, (Acts 14:23; Tit. 1:5) so that no flock might be left 
without a shepherd. 

7. That the decisions of the Church, based upon Scripture 
authority, were considered binding by all loyal members. 

Two things to be avoided in every church are liberalism, 
which takes little or no account of the personal conduct of 
members, and legalism, which insists on emphasizing tech- 
nicalities to an extent? that spiritual life is crowded out. The 
first means anarchy ; the second, extreme formalism. 

In almost every denomination the question has been raised 
as to whether others besides ministers should have a voice in 
conference. Again we turn to Scripture for something that 
will throw light on the answer. Take Acts 15 for example. 
Who considered and interpreted Scripture? "The apostles and 
elders." Who had a voice in determining the policy of the Church 



THE CHURCH 295 

after Scripture was once interpreted? "The apostles, and elders, 
with the whole church." Outside the one question of expound- 
ing and interpreting Scripture as applied in the shaping of 
church policy, it is a positive strength to a conference to have 
the laity represented in its deliberations, for the congregation 
looks at the work of the Church from another view-point from 
that of the ministry. Any conference can act more wisely when 
both these view-points are considered. It is certainly not 
unscriptural, and as a rule we believe it to be safe and wise„ 
for the overseers of the Church to keep in close touch with 
their flocks in all matters pertaining to the welfare of the 
Church. While the Bible is silent as to the exact representa- 
tion at conferences (and the farther away from arbitrary rules 
in this matter we can stay the better it will be for us) there 
should be some way by which the congregations may and will 
be consulted on all important matters. A layman's voice in 
conference is often a help to the work. Only let us keep away 
from the idea that ministers and deacons are not proper 
representatives of congregations and that where there are no 
lay-members the congregations are not represented. With a 
proper recognition of the overseers in their rightful place and 
with a hearty co-operation between the overseers and their 
flocks, the question of lay-representation in conference wiU 
never become a serious or vexing question. We have never yet 
seen a divided congregation or a divided conference that all 
the ministers were on one side and all the laity were on the 
other side. A hearty co-operation between the two will keep 
the congregation upon a scriptural basis, that which recognizes 
the leadership of the ministry and the rights of a congregation 
to have a voice in its own affairs along with all the rest of the 
things. 

One thing that is helpful in keeping the whole membership 
in close touch with the work of conference is to take the 
matters passed upon by conference before the several congrega- 
tions of the district, explain matters and have the home congre- 
gations ratify what was done in conference. This was done at 
Antioch, with excellent effect. 



296 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Relation between Church and State 

God rules through two kingdoms: (1) the Christ kingdom, 
through the instrumentality of the Church; (2) the world 
kingdoms, through the instrumentality of civil government. 
The first applies to matters spiritual, and affects all who 
acknowledge the Kingship of Jesus Christ. The second 'applies 
to matters temporal, and is designed as the organization 
through which lawlessness and violence are restrained and the 
people protected in their sacred rights. 

Citizens of the heavenly kingdom are commanded to be 
subject to rulers of the world kingdoms. We are commanded 
to "render unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's" (Luke 
20:25), to "be subject unto the higher powers" (Rom. 13:1), 
"to be subject to principalities .... to obey magistrates" (Titf 
3:1). The power of government, we are told, "is the minister 
of God to thee for good" (Rom. 13:4). We are therefore 
commanded to be submissive "to every ordinance of man for 
the Lord's sake" (I Pet. 2:13-16). All who are loyal citizens 
in the kingdom of God are obedient to this command to be 
subject to earthly rulers. For this reason Christians are the 
most law-abiding people on earth, no matter what form of 
government they live under, no matter how distasteful and 
unjust the laws may be." Though the conditions imposed by 
governments may seem hard, the Christian understands that 
"all things work together for good to them that love God,", 
and therefore bears his lot with patience and hope. 

It does not therefore follow that as subjects to earthly 
rulers it is our duty, or even our privilege, to do that which 
we can not consistently do as citizens of Christ's kingdom. 
The same apostles who taught that we should be subject to the 
powers that be also taught that "we should obey God rather 
than man." They never rebelled, but meekly suffered persecu- 
tion rather than do the things which they knew the Word of 
God forbade them to do. Indeed, the conditions in the two 
kingdoms are so radically different — one being the dominion of 
the Spirit and the other the dominion of the flesh — that it i^ 



THE CHURCH 297 

impossible for a citizen in Christ's kingdom to render effective 
service in administering the affairs of the world kingdoms, 
according to the standards set up in those kingdoms. 

History furnishes many proofs of the folly of attempting 
a union of Church and State. Whenever Christian people act 
upon the theory that it is their Christian duty to take hold of 
the affairs of civil government and run things according to a 
Christian basis it results invariably in the degradation of 
the Church rather than the uplift of nations. The Gospel of 
Christ is not intended as a machinery to govern an unregen- 
erate world. Perhaps the most conspicuous failure along this 
line was Constantine's decree making Christianity the religion 
of state in Rome. Without state aid, without the encourage- 
ment of any nation called "Christian," in the face of the 
fiercest opposition and persecution, loaded down with poverty 
and distress, the Church had arisen from an humble beginning 
at Pentecost to a mighty power at the time that Constantine 
became ■ emperor. Should the policy of the government now 
be reversed, and the opposition to Christianity be turned over 
to an espousal of the faith by this hitherto Pagan nation; 
should the government be turned over into the hands of thr 
Christians so that they could conduct the affairs of state 
according to Christian ideals, we might reasonably expect an 
immediate enlightenment of the nation and a period of un- 
precedented righteousness and prosperity for both Church and 
state. What happened? Rome was declared a "Christian 
nation" but it continued to go down. Many were added to the 
nominal Church, but still it took a mighty tumble. In a very 
short time both Church and State were steeped in a more 
hopeless corruption even than the State had formerly been, 
the world was wrapped in darkness, there being but a flickering 
light here and there where some persecuted church which had 
refused to become a party to the heresy of a union between' 
Church and State was nobly contending for the Christian 
faith. 

Even at the present time the disposition to meddle in 
politics means a lowering of the standard of godliness. As 



298 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Abraham, entirely separate from Sodom, exerted a greater 
influence there than did Lot who sat within the gates of that 
wicked city ("Judge Lot," as some say) so the children 
of God, recognizing that they belong to a kingdom not of this 
world, in which the servants do not fight (Jno. 18:20) exert 
their greatest influence, even over the world, by absolutely 
refusing to allow themselves to become entangled in the mesh 
of politics. 

We are asked, "What would become of a country if all the 
Christian people would hold aloof from the affairs of govern-* 
ment?" We ask, What has become of countries where the 
Church attempted to take hold of the government? What 
became of Rome? How much more Christ-like was it after it 
fell into so-called Christian hands than it was before? When 
did the Gospel of Christ make the most profound impressions 
upon the minds and hearts of men, while the Church was in 
the work of winning souls for Christ, or after it got into the 
civil government business? In the late war between Russia and 
Japan, how much more Christ-like was Christian Russia than 
Pagan Japan? Or in the recent Turko-Italian War, how 
much more Christ-like was Christian Italy than Mohammedan 
Turkey? And in the more recent Turko-Balkan War, how 
much more Christ-like were the Balkan states than Tur- 
key? How much more Christ-like are the methods of the 
"Christian" politician than those of the politician who makes no 
pretensions to Christianity? As stated before, the Gospel of 
Christ was not intended to serve as a machinery for civil 
government, and Christian people make a mistake every time 
they attempt to mix the two. Let Christian people recognize 
their calling, and God will do as He has always done, overrule 
and guide the destinies of nations. Our greatest opportunity 
as Christians lies along the line of warfare mapped out in 
Scripture : "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but 
mighty through God." This brings us to the last of the great 
questions to be considered in connection with our subject; 
namely, 



THE CHURCH 299 

The Mission of the Church 

1. The Light of the World.— The Church is the organ- 
ization through which the light of the Gospel is to be brought 
to all people. "Ye are the light of the world," is the way that 
Christ reminds His disciples of their lofty station and great 
responsibility. God works through human instrumentality. 
The world needs not only the Gospel, but also some living) 
examples showing how to exemplify it in daily life. If the 
Church as a body does not impress the world with its 
superiority over every other body (religious or secular) in purity, 
integrity, honesty, sincerity, devotion to truth and right, 
practical holiness and practical sympathy with fellow men, 
it is not fulfilling its mission. Where one reads the Bible* 
hundreds read the lives of those who are supposed to do as the 
Bible teaches. How important therefore that the world, from 
the way that Christian people live, should get a correct 
knowledge of the principles of Christianity. And how import- 
ant that it may not be said that there would be many who 
would accept the light of the Gospel if it were not for the fact 
that bur darkened lives stood in the way. 

2. The Evangelization of the World. — Hear our Sav- 
ior's great commission to the Church: "Go ye into all the 
world, and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). 
It was His expressed wish that "repentance and remission of 
sins should be preached" among all nations, beginning at home 
(Luke 24:46); that His disciples should be witnesses unto 
Him "unto the uttermost parts of the earth" (Acts 1:8). This 
command is- given in plain, positive terms, easily understood j 
and by the grace of God may be put into effect. Impossible? 
"All things are possible with God." Let us obey the command, 
doing the work as far as lies within our power, and God will 
take care of the impossibility part of the question. It is 
possible for us to do many times more than we have beer} 
doing. 

3. The Growth and Preservation of all Saints. — It is 

the mission of the Church not only to bring people to Christ, 



300 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

but to build them up in Christ. Acceptance of Christ is but 
the first step on the journey heavenward. That step having 
been taken, it is from then on a question of nourishment and 
growth. The lambs must be cared for, the sheep must be kept 
on good pasture. Man, as a sociable being, needs associations 
that will help rather than hinder his spiritual growth. These 
associations the Church is to supply as far as possible. That, 
God saw that it was good for His people to associate together 
in Christian fellowship is evident from the ordinances which/ 
He instituted. Baptism is "the answer of a good conscience 
toward God;" the communion is a memorial of the suffering 
and death of our Lord; the washing of the saints' feet is a 
symbol of humility, mutual service, and brotherly equality; the 
wearing of the Christian woman's devotional covering is S 
symbol of her relation to man in the Lord ; the salutation with 
the holy kiss is the symbol of love, and so on — each ordinance 
typifying some important Christian principle or trait of charac- 
ter which should be kept alive in every child of God. The sick 
must be nourished, the downcast encouraged, the heavy-laden 
relieved, the distressed comforted, and all through life there is; 
a constant opportunity for obedience to that "law of Christ" 
which says, "Bear ye one another's burdens." After conversion 
our souls long for and enjoy the fellowship of saints. It is a 
delightful "foretaste" which encourages the believer, strength- 
ens the body of Christ and enables the children of God to unite 
their forces in the great work of bringing the whole Gospel to 
ihe whole world. 

The church that fails in putting forth its best efforts ta 
build up the entire membership fails in a most important duty. 
Vigilant oversight ; good, wholesome teaching from the pulpit, 
in the home, and elsewhere ; healthy discipline along Gospel 
lines ; personal work and mutual edification in Christian) 
associations; a constant effort to keep in close touch with each 
member that all may be kept spiritually alive, active, interested 
in matters spiritual, diligent in their daily devotions and reading 
of God's Word — these are among the duties which the Church 
owes to every member. The church that is alive to this facf 



THE CHURCH 



301 



can not but be a mighty power, not only in building up those 
already in the kingdom, but also in bringing the unsaved to 
Christ. 



CHAPTER II 
THE MINISTRY 

Make full proof of thy ministry. — II Tim. 4:5. 

The Christian minister is a servant. The derivation of the 
word minister makes this its primary meaning. He is a servant 
in the truest and fullest sense of the word. In this he but 
follows the example of his Lord and Master, who "came not 
to be ministered unto but to minister." Thus the service of the 
Gospel ministry was exalted to the highest possible degree. 
There is no work or calling to which the Gospel ministry is 
second. It is the most important, the most vital, the most 
essential, the most responsible, and the most exalted calling 
within the province of humanity. It is the one calling on earth 
that is established, fostered and controlled directly by the Lord 
Himself. The representatives of the ministry are called, 
qualified, supported, and finally rewarded by the Lord. 

The Purpose 
The place given the ministry of the Gospel in the Scrip- 
tures shows that its purpose has a two-fold condition of 
service: (1) Subservient in nature, (2) authoritative in 
application. Under the first condition the minister serves under 
the direct leadership of Christ, the Head of the Church ; under 
the second, he is placed in authority, directing the work to some 
extent through others, and placed under weighty responsibility. 

1. The Minister as a Servant — As such the Bible refers 
to 'him*as — 

a. A servant (Jas. 1:1). 

b. A laborer (I Cor. 3:9"). 

c. A helper (II Cor. 1:24). 

d. A steward (Tit. 1:7). 

e. A witness (Acts 1:8; Rev. 11:3). 



THE MINISTRY 303 

2. The Minister Vested with Authority. — As such the 
Word declares him — ■ 

a. An ambassador (II Cor. 5:20). 

b. An overseer (Acts 20:28). 

c. A pastor (Eph. 4:11). 

d. A ruler (I Tim. 5:17). 

e. A bishop (Tit. 1:7). 

f. An elder (I Tim. 5:17). 

The Chief Aim 

The chief aim of the ministry is to bring men to Christ 
and to build them up in Christ. It is the perpetuation of the 
ministry of Christ begun by Himself while on earth. This is 
accomplished — • 

1. By the Preaching of the Word. — "Go ye into all the 
world, and preach the gospel to every creature," is the commis- 
sion that confronts every minister as he steps into his sacred 
office. There is nothing that can take the place of preaching. 
It is the means ordained of God, foolish though it may seem 
to some men, by which men shall find salvation. "It pleased 
God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" 
(I Cor. 1:21). 

2. By the Propagation of the Church. — The Church is 
the one institution on earth established by Jesus Christ. He is 
still its spiritual Head. It is made up of believers who have 
been saved through the ministry of the Word. Here they are 
built up in Christ. They learn obedience to the ordinances, 
restrictions, and rites laid down in the Word. They unite their 
efforts in fighting sin and Satan. They foster missions and 
benevolent institutions, and support the various movements 
intended' to extend the borders of the kingdom. 

It is the purpose and work of the ministry to oversee* 
regulate, direct, encourage, and take the responsibility of the 
work. As pastor, the minister feeds and shepherds the flock. 
As overseer, he directs the work and activities of the body of 
Christ. As ambassador, he represents the will and mind of 
Christ and the work of the kingdom on earth. As ruler, he 



304 BI'BlvE DOCTRINE 

disciplines, metes out penalties and becomes responsible for the 
order of the Church. If the minister is true to his calling he 
will endeavor to so direct the affairs of the Church as to claim 
the assurance that his life and work will meet the approval of 
''the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." 

Qualifications of the Ministry 

As the office of the ministry is a calling directly under the 
control of the Lord ; since He calls, qualifies, supports, and 
rewards His ministers, and yet calls the Church to have a part 
in the choosing, ordaining and sending forth of the ministry, 
it follows that the Lord would clearly state the character of the 
men qualified for this important work so that the Church would 
make no mistake in setting them forth. 

The Word of God is indeed clear in pointing out the 
qualifications that attach to this sacred office. The sacred page 
is copiously supplied with qualifications that should be manifest 
in the Christian minister. Twenty of these qualifications 
receive recognition in this article. Others might be given. 
All of these may be apparent to the Spirit-enlightened student 
of God's Word and the life of the candidate. Not all may be 
open to every member of the congregation, but a sufficient 
number, together with a conviction from above quickened by a 
deep concern for the welfare of the* cause of Christ, should 
actuate each member who casts a vote for the ministry. 

1. The Enduement of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:8; 24: 
49; Acts 1:8; 2:1-21). — The work of the ministry is a 
spiritual work. It deals directly with the spirits of men and 
can only be accomplished through the leading and power of 
the Holy Spirit. Were it possible for a man to attain to all 
the other qualifications laid down in God's Word, yet lacking 
the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the call of the Spirit and the 
infilling of the same in a measure especially adapted to his 
work, he would be utterly disqualified as a minister of the 
Gospel ; and should he attempt to serve without this vital 
qualification, his work must prove a dismal failure. Even 
rthough the other qualifications may not be so strikingly 



THE MINISTRY 305 

apparent, with the enduement of the Holy Spirit and a diligent 
application toward the development of the other requisites, he 
will be a successful minister. 

2. A Blameless Life (I Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:5, 6).— God 
demands the highest type of character in His servants. To be 
successful in the service of the ministry, a man must necessarily 
be possessed of a blameless character. A life besmirched by a 
record of sinful indulgences, possibly before conversion, for 
which full restitution . has not been made in the eyes of them 
'that are without," tendencies toward evil habits, lack o| 

control of temper, or greed for money or honor or worldliness 
in any of its forms, should have no place in the character of 
the minister of the Gospel. His life may not be above 
criticism, but it must be free from worldly spots and above 
blame. 

3. An Influential Reputation (I Tim. 3:7). — A min- 
ister's work affects largely the unconverted of the community^ 
He needs to have a "good report" among those on the outside 
as well as among those within the Church. While reputation 
does not always correspond with character, after all, reputation 
is an essential element in character, and, "a good name is rather 
to be chosen than great riches." You will never win those 
over whom you have no influence. Influence is begotten of 
confidence and confidence of a "good report." 

4. Humility (Acts 28:19; I Pet. 5:5).— All successful 
ministers of the past were possessed of a wholesome degree of 
Gospel humility. Possibly the' two greatest ministers before 
the Christian era were Moses and John the Baptist. The first 
has been called "the meekest man of the earth" (Num. 12:3). 
Of the second, after his marks of genuine humility were set 
forth — in dress, dwelling, manner of life, position — Jesus says, 
"Among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a 
greater than John the Baptist." The foundation of all true 
greatness is true humility. Nothing is so repellent\in a public 
servant as a proud, vain, self-important, arrogant, honor- 
seeking spirit. God can do nothing for or with a proud spirit. 
God exalts the humble. 



306 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

5. Unselfishness (I Cor. 9:20-22). — A boon companion. 
to humility is unselfishness. Pride and selfishness are twin 
destroyers of power and influence, but humility coupled with 
an unselfish disposition assures respect and success in any 
public calling. Let the Christian minister learn from his 
Master the lesson of unselfishness. 

6. Patience (II Cor. 6:4; I Tim. 3:3). — "Let patience 
have h A r perfect work" is wholesome advice. A man devoid of 
patienct is in no sense qualified for the trying ordeals of the 
ministry. No other calling demands the employment of 
Christian patience more than does that of the ministry. The 
servant of God in this capacity has to deal with all the shades 
of disposition of a depraved humanity. All manner of church 
problems present themselves, and if there is evidence of hot- 
headedness and impatience on the part of the heads of the 
Church, the work will be greatly hindered. Patience and cool-r 
headedness go a long way in adjusting difficulties and winning 
a point for the cause. "Let patience have her perfect work" 
in the ministry. 

7. Steadfastness (I Cor. 15:58; Eph. 4:14-16; Jas. 1: 
8). — Steadfastness, or firmness and loyalty to the right, is a 
quality that finds frequent use in the work of the ministry. 
Doublemindedness is condemned in Scripture. Such a man "is 
unstable in all his ways." The minister needs to be very 
cautious and deliberate in settling to a position, especially on 
points that are debatable ; but having found the rock founda- 
tion, lie needs to stand firmly and unflinchingly by his convic- 
tions and the teaching of the Wiord. An unestablished 
disposition allows the minister to be "driven hither and 
thither," and no one dares to trust him nor desires to risk much 
with him. A flea-natured preacher is a sad spectacle. Whei| 
you think he has now settled and you have him, he may flit to 
another position instantly and you are minus your object and 
are disappointed. Magnets are true to the pole. So must 
leaders be true to righteousness if they would draw men after 
them. 

8. Sweet-tempered (Tit. 1:7). — "Not soon angry" is the 



THE MINISTRY 307 

wording used in Holy Writ in describing this quality of the 
Gospel minister. An irritable disposition repels and destroys. 
For a minister to lose his temper and become angry is very 
unfortunate, to say the least. Nothing is ever gained through 
anger, but very much is lost through this fault of humanity. 
A leader who cannot control his own temper certainly is 1 
unable to control others. Pray for a sweet temper. 

9. Not Self-willed (Tit. 1:7). — ^Stubbornness is not akin 
to steadfastness. The one is a blind determination not to 
yield to any influence that crosses his path, whatever the 
nature or source ; the other is a faithful adherence to principle 
born of unselfish investigation, deep conviction and scriptural 
truth. The self-willed minister is responsible for many sad 
schisms and divisions in the Church. When considering the 
ministry, beware of the self-willed brother. 

10. Sobriety (I Tim. 3:2, 8).— The minister of the 
Gospel is not required to be funereal, ascetic or painfully 
serious, but he needs to be composed, thoughtful, "sober" and 
"grave." Frivolity, lightness, and boisterous levity are not 
qualities to make the work of a minister effectual. 

11. Vigilant (I Tim. 3:2; II Tim. 4:5).— The minister 
is a "watchman on the walls of Zion." It is his duty to have a 
watchful eye and give the note of warning of approaching 
danger. He must be wide awake, always alert. He must be 
alive to happenings all about him and the flock. He needs this 
characteristic for self-improvement and to be of real service to 
the flock. A sleepy, careless, unconcerned ministry allows the 
enemy to enter the fold and scatter the flock. "Watch thou in 
all things," is the Bible advice to a young minister. Its force 
is not spent in this time. 

. 12. Studious (I Tim. 4:13; II Tim. 2:15).— "Give 
attendance to reading," the young minister Timothy is admon- 
ished. A timely modern admonition to serve as an appendix to 1 
the above wo^uld be, "and be careful what you read." Let that 
reading be first of all the minister's standard library, the Bible, 
and all the^rest should be in harmony with it. It is well toi 
•often study the admonition, "Study, to shew thyself approved 



308 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

unto God," in this age when the temptation to cater to the 
approval of the world and the popular mind is so dominant.. 
The true minister will study the Word, other good books, his 
life, the signs of the times, the needs of the Church, the mission 
and other problems of the Church and everything that pertains 
to the success of his work as an effectual minister. The 
minister needs to be habitually studious. 

13. Sound in the Faith (Tit. 1:9; 2:1).— The soundness- 
of a member's faith should be thoroughly tested and approved 
before he is considered eligible for the ministry. Ministers 
who have held points in doctrine not in harmony with the 
Word or the orthodox faith of the Church have made ship^ 
wreck of their own usefulness and carried others down with 
themselves. Just as an expert architect would reject ai* 
unsound piece of timber and not allow its going into the 
building where heavy strain is required, just so the Church 
should jealously guard against placing men in the ministry, 
where so much of weal or woe depends on the position taken 
by the leader of the flock. How can a minister "speak the 
things that become sound doctrine," when he himself is 
unsound? How can he "by sound doctrine" used in his 
arguments and teaching "convince the gainsayer" when he- 
does not subscribe to soundness of doctrine himself? This is a 
vital and very important qualification, and is becoming more 
and more so as we approach the "latter days" in which men 
will "not endure sound doctrine." If we would save the 
Church from the general apostasy that is threatening the 
religious world, let us be more cautious in selecting men for 
the ministry who are sound in the faith. 

14. "Not a Novice" (I Tim. 3:6). — A man just con- 
verted to the faith has had neither time nor opportunity to 
prove himself sound in the faith, so what was said on the 
preceding qualification would forestall the ordaining of a. 
novice. The Bible does not reject young men from the 
ministry and demand that only the "elders" be ordained, but it 
does demand that a candidate for the ministry must be old 
enough in the service to prove himself qualified for this 



THE MINISTRY 309 

sacred calling. The Church can better afford to wait a while 
ionger than to ordain a bright and apparently useful man, 
untried and a novice in the faith. Such hasty steps often lead 
to bitter repentance when much mischief has been wrought to 
the cause, and it is too late to retrace and undo the harm 
resultant from the mistake. 

15. Free from Unsuitable Matrimonial Relations (I 

Tim. 3:2, 11). — The minister's wife figures largely in his 
success or failure, and consequently the weal or woe, of the 
congregation over which he is set. In this age of easy and 
unscriptural marriage and divorce laws, it is essential that the 
minister, especially the bishop, take a firm stand as to what 
constitutes correct scriptural matrimonial relations. Unless the 
minister can stand before his people as a model on these points, 
his influence will be largely destroyed. A wife who could not 
and would not be a ''help meet for him" in the work of the 
ministry, but would oppose him in his work, would hinder the 
work by being a reproach to him ; or if some position taken by 
the brother on this important subject would testify against 
him, he would, by the teachings of the Bible, be disqualified 
from serving as a minister of the Gospel. In the trying and 
arduous work of the ministry the help of a life companion and 
the full co-operation on her part is essential to successful 
service for Christ and the Church. 

16. The Gift of Teaching (I Tim. 3:2; 4:11; II Tim* 
2:2, 24). — Knowledge and the possession of facts alone do not 
make a teacher. The power to teach is a gift, an endowment. 
It is an aptitude that cannot be acquired by storing up knowl- 
edge. The Head of the Church "gave some teachers." 

The gift to teach comes from above. Much of the work of the 
ministry is closely related to teaching. Indeed, Jesus com- 
mands in the great commission that ministers should be 
qualified for the "Reaching of all things" thafl He had 
commanded. When the Bible demands that, a minister shall be 
"apt to teach" and "able to teach others," the obligation of the 
Church is to select such men for the ministry as have the gift 



310 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

to impart knowledge to others and lead others in the develop- 
ment of truth. 

17. Executive Ability (I Tim. 3:4, 5).— Since the 
ministry is responsible for the execution of God's order in the 
Church and the discipline of its members, as well as the general 
leadership of the body of Christ, it is mandatory that a man 
give evidence of the ability to lead and govern before placing 
him into the office of the ministry. The Bible demands that a 
bishop shall have proven himself a wise and effective executive 
by the successful administration of the affairs of his household, 
"one that ruleth well his own house," and emphatically declares 
that if he have failed in this he is unqualified to take the 
oversight of the Church. This is strikingly plain language : 
"For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how 
shall he take care of the church of God." 

18. Separate from Worldly Entanglements (I Tim. 3 : 
3; II Tim. 2:4). — Coveting worldly power, "greedy of filthy 
lucre," entanglement with "the affairs of this life," are 
disqualifications carefully noted by the inspired writer. Secular 
affairs have their place, even in the life and activities of 
ministers. Paul emphasizes the fact that he made his own 
living by secular labor, and helped others do the same. Honest 
toil, of brain or brawn, is commendable and healthful for the 
minister. But he must keep himself free from business and 
social entanglements of a worldly nature. He must set the 
riches of God's grace above the riches of the world. He must 
prize the winning of souls more than the winning of dollars or 
earthly laurels. He looks forward to "the crown of life" 
given after the "good fight" is accomplished rather than to the 
fading honor and the hollow applause of the world. He is the 
pattern for the "peculiar people" of God and an example for a 
"separate-from-the-world" body to follow. 

19. Devotion to Calling (I Cor. 9:16-18; II Cor. 12: 
15). — Paul was willing to "spend and be spent" for the cause 
he had espoused, even though he saw no appreciation on the 
part of those whom he served. In fact he declares "the more 
abundantly I love you the less I be loved." His keen devotion 



THE MINISTRY 311 

tc his calling made him insensible to the slights and inapprecia- 
tion of the people. He made great sacrifices so that the Gospel 
of Christ would be "without charge," and that in no way he 
would abuse his power in the Gospel. The spirit of true 
devotion to a work or a cause makes sacrifice a pleasure rather 
than a burden. Without the spirit of devotion no one is able 
to render the best service. 

20. A Living Example (I Tim. 4:12; Tit. 2:7, 8).— 
Example is stronger than precept. "Actions speak louder than 
words." These are maxims whose truth is nowhere more vital 
in any work than in the Christian ministry. Timothy might 
well assert his authority and allow none to despise his youth, 
provided he was "an example of the believers." Titus, another 
young minister, is exhorted to be "a pattern of good works." 
The minister who leads an exemplary life preaches a telling 
sermon as long as the day he lives. An eloquent orator and 
expert logician may move his audience wondrously for a half 
hour while he is dispensing to them the truth fired with 
brilliant eloquence, but unless his life corresponds with his 
preaching, he is preaching a silent though powerful sermon for 
the rest of the day that will be the undoing of both him and 
his work. That the "world reads the preacher more than it 
does the Bible" is a saying that has been demonstrated time 
and again. It is the life that counts in the end. When the 
quality of a correct example is coupled with knowledge and 
aptness to teach in a minister, there is a strong character and 
a successful worker in the vineyard of the Lord. 

There has been no attempt made to specialize these 
qualifications for the various offices of the ministry — bishop, 
minister, deacon, evangelist, missionary, teacher — but they 
have been treated in a general way. All are good for all these, 
offices. Some have greater force in one office than in another. 
The nature of the office determines the class of qualifications 
that need special emphasis. 

After we have done all, have used our best intelligence 
and wisdom in selecting men for the ministry, let it be 
remembered that this is the Lord's work; that the Lord 



312 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

qualifies and calls to the ministry; that our part is only to be 
used as He directs. Our judgment and wisdom is fallible. 
Let no one run ahead of or counter to the Lord in this work.' 
In all instances, when a call to the ministry is under considera- 
tion, let no move be made until after the matter has been fully 
placed into the hands of the Lord and there is assurance that 
His blessings and approval rest on the work. 
Offices of the Ministry 

According to the inspired report of the apostle, the offices 
ordained of God for the "work of the ministry" are: Apostles, 
prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Eph. 4:11, 12). 
The modern Church aims to cover the work of these offices by 
dividing it up variously and assigning more or less specific 
work to its various offices. In some denominations, as the 
Roman Catholic and Episcopalian, the work of each office is 
very definitely outlined and circumscribed; while in others, as 
the Congregational, the lines of demarcation between the 
various offices are not so clear, and often the person serving in 
one office has full authority to serve in any other office. It is 
our purpose to keep it confined to such offices as are recognized 
by the Church generally and bestowed upon individuals by 
regular ordination. 

Bishop. — The highest office in the Church is that of 
bishop. The word itself means overseer, director, superinten- 
dent. It is a scriptural word used in a definite sense. The 
word "elder" is used in a number of places in the Bible to 
represent the bishop, as is also the word "presbyter" in one 
instance (I Tim. 4:14). 

The word "bishop" is a specific term, used in a special 
manner and with a definite meaning. This cannot be said of 
the other two terms. The term elder comes from the custom 
to set at the head of the people the eldest among them, and 
may include any office of the ministry. In the Bible it is used 
interchangeably with bishop and other offices of the ministry. 
It is hardly to be taken that the "elders" which Paul and 
Barnabas ordained "in every church" on their first missionary 
journey were all bishops. Other references carry the weight 



THE MINISTRY 313 

of argument in favor of the claim that elders were bishops. 
See Acts 20:17; Jas. 5:14; I Pet. 5:1. 

The work of the bishop is that of overseer and general 
director of the affairs of the Church. Jesus Himself is called a, 
bishop in this sense. I Pet. 2 :25. The revised version uses the 
word "bishop" instead of "overseer" in Acts 20:28, making 
the passage read: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and 
to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you 
bishops, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased 
with his own blood." The apostleship was the highest office 
in the Church at the time of its founding, and this office is 
spoken of as a "bishopric" (Acts 1:20). We conclude there- 
fore that the correct term, technical and practical, is that of 
bishop. 

Since the office of bishop is the highest in the Church, it 
follows that it is also the most responsible. Only thoroughly 
tried and qualified men should be considered eligible for this 
office. The qualifications required by the Word should be 
apparent in every instance. 

The bishop should be considered the head of the Church, 
should be in charge of its official functions, and either perform 
the same himself or have them performed under his supervi- 
sion. He needs to keep near to the great "Bishop of souls" 
and be "an ensample to the flock." As such he should receive 
and enjoy the confidence and hearty support of the congrega- 
tion. Adam Clarke says : "The office of a bishop is from God ; 
a true pastor only can fulfill this office ; it is an office of most 
awful responsibility; few there are who can fill it." 

Minister. — This is also a term of accommodation. The 
technical meaning of the word is servant, or slave. It is widely 
used in the sense of special servant in both civic and ecclesias- 
tical economy. Every member of the ministry, of course, is a 
minister. Already in the Jewish Church was the term officially 
used (Luke 4:20). The Holy Ghost called Paul to be a 
"minister" (Acts 26:16). Paul speaks of himself and Appollos 
as "ministers" (I Cor. 3:5). Timothy, who also became a 
bishop, is called a "minister" (I Thes. 3:2). It is a correct 



314 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Bible term, and applies well to the office so styled in contra- 
distinction from that of bishop. All bishops are ministers, 
but not all ministers are bishops; nor are all qualified to 
become bishops. The minister serves the Church in preaching 
the Word, assists the bishop, and under his jurisdiction per- 
forms many of the functions and rites of the Church, serving 
the cause in a general manner. 

Deacon. — The office of deacon seems to have been 
created in the early days of the Christian Church. There was 
need that some one especially appointed to take care of the 
poor and look after the needy of the Church should be 
ordained to that work, and so the Church ordered the ordina- 
tion of seven men "of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost 
and wisdom." These were selected and duly ordained for the 
work to which they had been chosen; Acts 6:1-6. That the 
Church continued to use the office of deacon is evidenced by 
the records given of church work in the epistolary writings. 
Paul sends greetings to the "bishops and deacons" in the* 
church at Philippi (Phil. 1:1). That the Word carefully 
records the qualifications of a deacon (I Tim. 3:8-13) shows 
that theirs is an important office in the Church of Christ. 

The work of the deacon generally is to look after the 
poor, see to the visitation work, take care of church funds,- 
assist in the administration of the ordinances and rites of the 
Church, and serve as a helper to the other officers of the 
church. 

Pastor. — In many respects every minister is a pastor — 
one who looks after the flock. In the Mennonite Church the 
pastoral work of the Church is usually divided among the 
bishops, ministers, and deacons. In some instances where 
there are a number of ministers located at one place, one of 
them is made especially responsible for the oversight of the 
congregation, and as such is called the pastor or minister in 
charge. This custom is, however, not universal in the Menno- 
nite Church. Pastoral work is very important. A careful 
shepherding of the flock goes a long way in the work of a 
successful ministry. 



THE MINISTRY 315 

Evangelist. — This is also a general office in the ministry. 
There is no order or rule of the Church by which certain 
persons are especially ordained as evangelists. Evangelists 
are usually chosen from among the ministry and they go forth 
carrying the Word of the Gospel throughout the Church, 
laboring in such congregations where they are called. It is 
a scriptural office. Acts 21:28; Eph. 4:11. Timothy is 
admonished in the last words of Paul to "do the work of an 
evangelist" (II Tim. 4:5). Not all members of the ministry 
are qualified as evangelists, but all evangelists should be chosen 
from the ordained ministry. 

Missionary. — This is a term not found in the Bible. 
But from the earliest history of the Church she had her 
missionaries. For some time the work of the missionary was 
limited to the regularly ordained ministry, but the field has been 
enlarged, other workers were needed, and today we have many 
faithful missionaries who have not been ordained to the 
ministry. It is not the part of wisdom that such an important 
work should be done except under the supervision of the 
regularly recognized ministry. 

Teacher. — The apostolic Church made provisions for 
teachers among them. I Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11. Christ was 
a teacher. John 3 :2. Barnabas and Paul were teachers. Acts 
13:1. Teaching as used in the Bible sense has reference to a 
special kind of Scripture interpretation and general instruction 
of the people. All true preaching has the element of teaching 
in it. But that not all the teaching from the ministry is 
wholesome is proven by the warning of the Word. The 
Church is warned against "teachers" who strive to please 
those "having itching ears" (II Tim. 4:3). There is a field 
for special Bible teaching in this age of the Church, in the 
Sunday school, mission work, special Bible study classes and 
in our church schools. It is highly important that the greatest 
care be exercised in the choosing of teachers. That many of 
the theological schools of the land employ unsound teachers, 
and are thereby leading many into error regarding the Bible 
and religious beliefs ought to arouse the Church to the sense 






316 BPBLE DOCTRINE 

of her duty along this line and see to it that only such teachers 
are given place as are sound in the faith and orthodox in 
every true sense of the word. 

The Call to the Ministry 

The Gospel ministry is a calling. It is not a mere 
profession or vocation, a trade or business, one that may be 
chosen, entered into or laid down at will. Men are divinely 
called to the ministry. The Lord controls both the call and 
the work. A few questions naturally present themselves as 
this subject is approached: How may one enter the ministry? 
Is there a special call needed, or may one enter the ministry 
as he would any other profession — by choice or special fitness? 
Is a divine call essential to the ministry today? A brief 
consideration of the subject follows. 

1. The Call is from the Lord. — God has always 
exercised an exclusive proprietorship over the' call of men as 
leaders of His people. God called Moses in an unmistakable 
manner. He did not exercise authority to assign the masses 
their occupations, but He did call Moses as His minister. 
What is true of the call of Moses, is true of the call of the 
prophets, it was "the word of the Lord" that came to the 
prophets and called them from secular occupations to the 
sacred office of prophet. This is clear from the call oi 
Samuel to that of Malachi. These were divinely called and 
cpake as the Holy Ghost gave them utterance. The first high 
priest (Aaron) was especially named and called directly of the 
Lord. The New Testament declares that "no man taketh this 
honor unto himself, but he that is called of God as was Aaron" 
(Heb. 5:14). Jesus Christ, "made a high priest forever" 
made the rinai sacrifice on the altar of sin-offering "once for 
all," and the Levitical priesthood was abolished. Jesus abol-i 
ished the priesthood but established the ministry in its stead. 
He called a number to be His special followers, inducted them 
into office, gave them special authority and sent them forth to 
minister to the people. He commissioned them and their 
successors to go "into all the world and preach the gospel to 



THE MINISTRY 317 

•every creature ;" to teach them "all things" that He had 
commanded. Thus we have the Christian ministry established 
for the purpose of bringing men to Christ and to build them 
up in Christ. Jesus, moreover, certified His intention to over- 
see the work and be with His chosen ministers "alway, even 
unto the end of the world." 

We are commanded to pray "the Lord of the harvest" that 
'"HE will send forth labourers into his harvest." This com- 
mand indicates two things: (1) that it is the duty of the* 
Church to constantly pray for laborers, (2) that the Lord 
holds the exclusive right to send them forth. Thus the Chris- 
tian ministry is subject to the call of the Lord. 

2. The Call is Through the Church.— The Church 
usually dates her birth from the day of Pentecost. The 
nucleus of that body was contained in the Twelve. It was td 
the chosen men that Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will build 
-my church" (Matt. 16:19). See also Matt. 18:18. It was to 
the spokesman of that body (Peter) that Jesus said, "I will 
give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and what- 
soever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" 
(Matt. 16:19). The Church is the visible body of Christ on 
•earth. It is through it that Christ, the Head, directs His 
work. The Church has absolute right and authority to deal 
with questions concerning the children of God on earth. This 
is fully attested by the words of Christ: "Tell it unto the 
church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto 
thee as a heathen man and a publican" (Matt. 18:17V Every 
divinely sanctioned Christian worker is called and commissioned 
of the Church. A normal church is the mouthpiece and 
congress of God. 

To the pre-pentecostal body of Christ came the word that 
the place made vacant by Judas should be filled. The body 
acted. Matthias was chosen to the "ministry and apostleship." 
and "he was numbered with the eleven apostles" (Acts 
1:15-26). 

The Church selected the first deacons and ordained them" 
to their office, acting under the guidance of the Holy Spirit 



318 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

(Acts 6:1-6), as it did also the first missionaries (Acts 13:2,3). 
The . apostle to the Gentiles did not act alone upon his 
divine call from above, and not until the proper officer of the 
Church had laid his hands upon him and ordained him, giving 
him his commission, did he enter the work of the ministry 
(Acts 9:17; 22:12-15). Taking these Scriptures as our 
testimony, we conclude that all divinely sanctioned ministers! 
are called of God through the Church. 

How the Call is Recognized • 

The vital question that often presents itself to the Church 
and the individual is to determine whether the Lord has or has 
not called a certain person to the ministry. There should not 
and need not be occasion for the Church to make so serious a 
mistake as to ordain an uncalled worker, or set one aside whom 
the Lord has called. Here are a few tests: 

1. Individual Conviction. — "From the beginning" God 
determines His workers. If the individual is true to his 
nature, there will be an inward conviction, a holy desire, an 
evidence of responsibility, an assurance that God wants him 
for His special service. Care must be exercised in locating 
the origin of this desire and see that it is not the product of 
selfish soil. Good men, and some not so good, may have a 
mistaken idea as to the source of this conviction. The test to 
be made here is to determine whether the work of the ministry 
— sacrificing for the cause, leading souls into the kingdom, 
glorifying God — is the real actuating influence. There are 
features about the ministry that appeal — the public exercise of 
literary gifts, social standing in the community, advantageous 1 
contact with the masses, a place of honor and authority, etc. 
These are only points incident to the ministry. They are not 
the ministry, and if for these reasons a man desires to enter 
the ministry, his convictions may rightly be questioned. "The 
ministry is the divine business of rescuing souls and building 
them up in Christ to the glory of God." On this point Luther 
says : "Await God's call. Meantime be satisfied. Yea, though 
thou wast wiser than Solomon and Daniel, yet, unless thou art 



THE MINISTRY 319 

called (of God) avoid preaching as thou wouldst hell itself." 
But if the conviction is of God a conviction of a divine 
obligation, a holy duty, a consecrated, humble desire will rest 
in the soul, to glorify God in humble, obedient service. 

2. Possession of Requisite Qualifications. — God never 
asks a man to perform a certain task, or to become responsible 
for a work for which he is not qualified. He furnishes the 
means by which the work can be done. He said to the humble 
fisherman, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." 
There often accompanies the call a keen realization of unfitness 
and un worthiness. Moses felt it. Paul realized it. Many a 
modern minister who afterward became a power for God in 
the service realized a sensitive degree of unfitness. God makes 
no mistakes. Sometimes He lays hold of a "diamond in the 
rough," possibly because in His omniscience He sees that it is 
^afer to polish this one within rather than without the ministry. 
He knows the heart of man. However crude and undeveloped, 
the necessary qualifications are always in sufficient evidence 
that neither the individual nor the Church need make a mis- 
take ; nor will they, if they are right with God. It is unsafe, 
unscriptural, and damaging, if not ruinous, to ordain an 
unqualified man to the ministry. (See on qualifications else- 
where in this chapter). 

3. Witness of the Holy Spirit. — While Jesus was upon 
earth, He called His ministers personally. When He ascended 
to heaven He sent the Holy Spirit as the abiding and con-s 
trolling person of the Trinity on earth. The direct call to the 
ministry now is through the Holy Spirit. We are living in the 
dispensation of the Spirit who speaks to the inner heart and 
not to the outer ear. Yet the call is just as direct as in the 
days of Christ. The divine voice is heard and recognized by 
God's people, for it is the natural voice of the Father speaking 
to His children. It was the Holy Spirit that said to the Church 
at Antioch : "Separate unto me Barnabas and Saul for the 
work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 1*3:2). That same 
voice speaks in an unmistakable manner to the Church today. 
Listen to the voice of the Spirit. 



320 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

4. By the Unanimous Voice of the Church. — If a 

congregation is in line with God, especially if it is not a large 
one, the choice for the ministry is frequently determined by the 
unanimous conviction of its members. This may be just as 
true of larger congregations. It is in many respects the ideal 
way. It shows that God is speaking to all in the same voice, 
which is evidence that all are in position where God can and 
will fully reveal His will to them. This, of course, presupposes 
that no other influences were at work that God could not 
sanction. Electioneering for the ministry is sacrilege. The 
unanimous voice of a conference may safely be taken as the 
voice of the Lord in cases where a minister is to be chosen for 
special work in the district, or from among the congregations 
comprising the district. 

5. By the Lot. — The first person chosen to the office 
of the ministry after Jesus left the earth was by lot. The lot 
was very frequently used in the early history of God's people 
in determining the will of the Lord and in calling men to high 
and sacred offices. There is a disposition among some modern 
Christians to recognize the scriptural use of the lot for the 
earlier ages, but object to its use in the ordination of the 
ministry in this age. This aversion to the use of the lot 
evidently is traceable to the misuse of this sacred order. It is 
not a means to be trifled with, or to employ with a view of 
getting out of the task of selecting properly qualified men. It 
is to be used only when men have done their duty in selecting 
the proper one for the ministry and the choice is not unan- 
imous. God sees and knows what man cannot see and know. 
There may be several brethren in a congregation who have the 
scriptural qualifications as far as man can see, and but one 
man is to be ordained. In that instance the matter is decided 
by lot, the Lord choosing the one best suited for the occasion. 

The call of Matthias is objected to on the ground that the, 
Holy Ghost was not yet given ; that the action of the apostles 
in calling one to fill the place of Judas was premature and 
therefore without divine sanction ; that Paul and not Matthias 
was the divinely called apostle to take the "bishopric" of Judas. 



THE MINISTRY 321 

Space will not permit extended discussion of these controverted 
points, but we want to give a few proofs that the action of the 
apostles in the instance cited was divinely sanctioned and sus- 
tained, and that the same evidences sustain the use of the lot in 
the Christian Church today. 

a. There is no ground for claiming that the apostles acted 
without the sanction of the Holy Ghost, as long before that 
time holy men "spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" 
(II Pet. 1:21). 

b. Matthias is indeed never again mentioned in connection 
with the activities of the Church; neither are the majority of 
the rest of the apostles. 

c. Paul is nowhere mentioned as the successor of Judas, 
but is distinctly the "apostle of the Gentiles" (Rom. 11:13). 
Barnabas and others are also called apostles (Acts 14:14), so 
the point raised by some that if Matthias was an apostle there 
were thirteen apostles, has no virtue. There are more than 
thirteen persons called apostles in the New Testament. 

d. That the call of Matthias had the divine sanction is 
attested by the fact that the sacred record gives a very full and 
detailed account of the action, and nowhere in the Bible is 
there a hint of disapproval. Is it reasonable that an unauthor- 
ized action of such magnitude should be thus divinely recorded 
and made the means of leading the Church in all succeeding 
ages into error? 

e. The Word expressly declares that Matthias "was num- 
bered with the eleven apostles" (Acts 1 :26) — and no hint that 
it was a mistake. 

f. After the death of Judas and before the call of 
Matthias the apostles are spoken of as "the eleven" (Matt. 
28:16; Mark 16:14; Luke 24:9, 33); after the call of 
Matthias, and before the conversion of Saul, they were called 
"the twelve," or spoken of in such a manner as to make it 
clear that Matthias was included in "the twelve" (Acts 2:14; 
Acts 6:2). 

For the above reasons, and others equally plausible, the 
use of the lot in the call of the ministry stands approved in 



322 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

the present day and age of the Church. Its use is sacred. Iti 
removes no responsibility from the Church in exercising care. 
The candidates for the ministry must be just as carefully 
selected when the lot is used as when any other form of call 
to the ministry is employed. To take men into the lot not 
scripturally qualified, or attempt to shift responsibility in this 
important matter, spells punishment. 

All whom the Lord calls find their field of labor, if they 
submit to Him and the call. The Lord opens the way; unless 
He does, there is no call. Only unfaithful men can hinder the 
call of the Lord, none can defeat it. 

Lord Jesus, send us faithful ministers. 

The Minister's Preparation 

Ministerial preparation is a subject of peculiar nature. 
Since the Scriptures assert that the matter of the call to the 
ministry is from God, it follows that the Lord either calls those 
who have already been prepared, or He takes them through a 
process of preparation during the call, or He sees to it that 
adequate preparation is made subsequent to the call. 

The Levites went through a process of training for the 
priesthood. There seem to have been special schools for the 
training of the prophets. A few of these have been located by 
Bible scholars: At Ramah (I Sam. 19:20); Bethel (II Kings 
2:3); Jericho (II Kings 2:5); Gilgal (II Kings 4:38), and 
elsewhere (II Kings 6:1.) Just what was the nature of the 
work done by the prophets at the religious centers is largely a 
matter of conjecture. There is no record in the New Testa- 
ment of the existence of schools for the training of men who 
would enter the ministry. The deplorable fact that many of 
the theological schools of the day lead young men away from 
rather than toward the acceptance of a full Gospel teaching, 
has caused the orthodox body of believers to look with 
suspicion and disfavor upon such schools. But it is not the 
intention at this time to discuss the merits or demerits of a 
theological education. 

God makes no mistakes when He calls to the ministry. 



THE MINISTRY 323 

He has chosen them from the humble fisherman of Galilee, to 
the educated man of Tarsus. Here are a few facts: 

A well developed and practically trained mind, stored with 
useful knowledge is a great help in the ministry. 

An education achieved amid erroneous influences and false 
teachings is a great hindrance in the ministry. 

For any man to deliberately choose the profession of a 
minister, educate himself to that end, and then demand of the 
Church that he be ordained, is not in accordance with Scrip- 
ture. 

It is reasonable and right for any man to obtain a clean 
education amid ennobling influences, with a view to be of the 
best service in life, wherever his lot may be cast, whether that 
be to dig in the ditch or preach in pulpit, or both. But after 
that education is acquired, there is no Gospel law by which 
he can make claims for special recognition in the Church. 

If he is what God would have him be, the call will find 
him, and if not, his education would be a decided hindrance to 
the cause. 

No one can effectively use a tool with which he is not 
acquainted. No one can teach grammar who knows nothing 
about grammar. No one can use the Bible effectively without 
knowing the Bible. The Spirit will do much in the way of 
bringing "to remembrance" passages of Scripture once learned, 
and lead the worker in the proper use of the same, but you 
must learn to know the Scripture. To this end a course in 
Bible study will serve a good end, as well as the knowledge of 
the field of labor. Three points of preparation are always ir 
order for the Gospel worker: 

1. Study. — "Search the Scripture" is the divine injunc- 
tion. That the minister needs to give much time to study and 
meditation needs no argument. "Study to show thyself 
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be 
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth," carries with it 
more obligation for constant preparation than is usually given 
it. 



324 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

2. Reading. — "Give attendance to reading" is Paul's 
admonition to a young minister. I Tim. 4:13. This word 
of admonition is inspired and effective today as much as ever. 
The minister who would do . effective work in the pulpit or 
among his flock, must have a correct view of all that pertains 
to his work. He needs to be posted on the issues of the day 
as well as the teachings of the Word. It is his duty to cope 
with the issues of the hour, and this he can do intelligently and 
effectively only as he has the knowledge of them. He needs, 
above all else, to read his Bible carefully and prayerfully and 
listen to God as He speaks to him through His Word. 

3. Prayer. — There is no other preparation for a Gospel 
sermon or pastoral work that can take the place of prayer. 
It is the medium through which the minister gets to the throne 
of God. He talks to God and God talks to him. He gets 
instruction direct from the throne. His heart is warmed as 
were the hearts of the two walking to Emmaus, because Jesus 
speaks to him. The night before Jesus delivered His 
marvelous sermon on the Bread of Life, He spent with the 
Father in prayer. Mark 6:46; Jno. 6:22. If Jesus needed 
to pray, how much more the minister of today. The sermon 
that lacks the preparation of prayer is lifeless and without 
spiritual effect. 

There may be occasions to write out a sermon after it has 
been delivered, for publication in the church paper, or other- 
helpful purpose, but to previously prepare a sermon, write it 
out word for word, and then read it to the congregation, or 
commit it to memory and deliver it as an oration, is not to be 
countenanced. Such essay-reading or oration-delivering can 
hardly be called preaching. It is mechanical and lifeless. It 
robs the Spirit of His opportunity to inspire with new truths 
the subject under consideration. It kills attention. It prevents 
the preacher from speaking face to face with his audience. It 
makes preaching a mechanical form instead of a living force 

To attempt to preach without any preparation is also a 
mistake. It is an insult to the Author of preaching to tell the 
congregation that you have not looked into the Bible for a week, 



THE MINISTRY 325 

have not thought of a text, nor tried to settle your mind on 
any subject; that you will now open your mouth and let the 
Lord do the preaching. It is the preacher's duty to acquaint 
himself with the Word, to select, under the guiding influence of! 
the Spirit, a text, subject, or line of thought to present to the 
congregation, to arrange (either in his mind or on paper, if 
his memory is poor) the points to be presented, store up some 
fitting illustrations, then turn this preparation and his powers 
over to the Lord to be used of Him in the pulpit. It may be 
that he will find it necessary to use another text, to dismiss the 
outline he had prepared, to go on an entirely different line 
from that intended. Let the Holy Spirit take care of the 
delivery, but make diligent preparation. 

The Work of the Ministry 

The work of the ministry is of a four-fold nature: — (1) 
Preaching, (2) Administering the rites of the Church, (3) 
Caring for the flock, (4) Discipline. These different phases of 
the work we shall endeavor to .consider in the light of God's 
Word. 

Preaching. — This has been called "a divine art." It is 
the most important activity of the Christian minister. The 
primary duty, the work of paramount importance that falls to 
the lot of the ministry, is that of preaching the everlasting 
Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and ruined world. What is 
preaching? Literally, to preach means to make known by 
public proclamation. By common consent, preaching is almost 
exclusively confined to sacred discourse. The extraordinary use 
of the term helps to preserve the sacredness of preaching. 

Preaching is a divine work. God has chosen this means 
to bring His Word and will to the ears of the people. Tit. 
1 :3. The word has special use with proclamations that 
pertain to the salvation of men. The most striking and 
significant instance where the term is used in the Old Testa- 
ment is in Jonah 3 :2. Here the prophet is charged in this 
language: "Preach unto it (Nineveh) the preaching that I bid 
thee." He speaks in a similar manner to every modern." 



326 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

preacher. The preaching of Jonah saved Nineveh. True 
preaching may save many a city today. 

It is in the New Testament, however, where preaching 
takes its true form. The forerunner of the Gospel dispensation 
preached "the baptism of repentance" (Mark 1:4). The first 
Gospel preacher (Jesus) had no sooner entered upon His public 
mission that He "began to preach" (Matt. 4:17). The Twelve 
were ordained "that he might send them forth to preach" 
(Mark 3:14). The early Church leaders were preachers and 
preached the Gospel. Acts 5:42; 8:35; 17:3. Moreover, it 
has pleased God to employ this means, foolish as it may seerrj 
to the world, to save the world. I Cor. 1:21. 

The question most vital, and that should receive the most 
serious concern on the part of the preacher is, What shall I 
preach? 

The vital points for the preacher to present from the 
pulpit, as fundamentals in doctrine, evangelism and church 
activity are enlarged upon in various parts of this volume : 
we name the following: "Preach the Word;" preach the 
fundamentals of salvation; among these fundamentals the 
subjects that should receive special attention are, repentances 
faith, conversion, the atonement, justification and holiness. 
Gospel ordinances and restrictions should have a prominent 
place among the topics presented to a congregation. Obedi- 
ence, to God and all the commandments and requirements of 
His Word, to the authorities of the Church and to civil author- 
ities, wherein they do not conflict with the higher authority of 
heaven, demand recognition on the part of the faithful 
preacher. Possibly the line of teaching most vital for pulpit 
consideration is that of sin and the remedy for the same as 
offered through the grace of God and the appeal of the 
sacrifice of the Son of God for the salvation of the world. 

A more complete recognition of this division of the subject 
'iiight profitably be given, but space forbids. Brother minister, 
ours is a sacred calling, and nowhere is the responsibility 
greater than in the pulpit. We must give account for the 
influence we wield. May we be faithful to our trust. 



THE MINISTRY 327 

Administering the Rites of the Church. — The work of 
baptizing penitent believers, officiating at the communion, 
anointing the sick, solemnizing marriages, conducting funeral 
services, and serving in the administration of all the rites of 
the Church belongs to the ministry. This position is sustained 
by the Scriptures. See Matt. 28:19, 20; Jas. 5:14. There is 
no clear case in the Scriptures where other than the ministry 
officiated in these rites; neither has it become a common 
practice in the Christian Church of today for laymen to do 
this work. 

The Care of the Flock. — Pastoral work falls to the 
ministry. The ministers are the shepherds of the flock. They 
see that the members are supplied with wholesome food and 
drink, spiritually They are also under obligations to see that 
the needy are cared for, the sick visited and the flock 
shepherded in a general way. In the care of the flock the 
deacons have a prominent place. See Acts 6:1-6. 

Church Discipline. — The ministers are the executives of 
the visible body of Christ. Every wise ruler seeks to govern 
the people over whom he is set by the consent and help of the 
governed. So will the wise church executive strive to do. The 
form of church government that has proved the most satis- 
factory and the most successful is that in which the congre- 
gation has a prominent place. The fact that the ministry has 
the authority to rule and the responsibility to oversee the flock 
is clearly taught in the Word. "Let the elders that rule well 
be counted worthy of double honor" (I Tim. 5:17). The 
ability to rule must be a qualification already proven before a 
man may be considered for the office of bishop. "For if a man 
know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of 
the church of God" (I Tim. 3:5). The ministers and deacons 
help the bishop, the chief executive, in keeping the Church in 
Gospel order, ruling "not as lords over God's heritage, but 
being ensamples to the flock" (I Pet. 5:2, 3). 

Support of the Ministry 
In approaching this subject we are aware of the fact that 



328 BIBLE DOCTRINE • 

it is one on which the religious world holds divided opinion ; 
one that has suffered abuse on both sides. There are two 
extremes to be avoided in the consideration of ministerial 
support: (1) That since the Gospel is free, it would be z 
breach of the Scriptures to offer a minister any tangible 
support. (2) That a minister should receive and live upon a 
stipulated salary as any other professional man would. There 
is a golden mean between these two extremes that has the full 
sanction of the Word and the support of sound reason. The 
space allotted to an article of this nature forbids any exhaus- 
tive discussion of the subject. What is said is in the form of, 
brief statements. The reader may develop the subject further 
in the light of God's Word. 

It is clear from such passages as are cited below that the 
support of a Christian worker 

Is Scriptural 

"The workman is worthy of his meat" (Matt. 10:10). 
"The labourer is worthy of his hire" (Luke 10:7). "Thou 
shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The 
labourer is worthy of his reward" (I Tim. 5:18). "Even so 
hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospe': 
should live of the Gospel" (I Cor. 9:14). Other passages 
might be cited, but these are sufficient to prove that it is 
scriptural that those who labor in the Gospel receive support 
when needed. What the nature of that support should be is 
answered in the points following: 

1. Prayer. — Paul never asked for a salary by which he 
might the better dispense the Gospel, but he repeatedly called 
for the prayers of God's people. Col. 4:2; I Thes. 5:25; II 
Thes. 3:1; Heb. 13:18. It was the prayers of the Church 
that helped an early minister out of a serious difficulty. Acts 
12:5. The prayers of the laity are recognized means in helping 
the ministry to successful labor. II Cor. 1:11. When a 
congregation prays in the true spirit for its minister, he will 
not lack any other good thing from their hands. 

2. Obedience. — The Word enjoins the congregation to 



THE MINISTRY 329 

"obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, 
for they watch for your souls as they that must give account,, 
that they may do it with joy and not with grief" (Heb. 13:17). 
Stand by your ministers by yielding a ready and willing 
obedience to them in all things scriptural, and you will put 
heart into them and give them courage and strength tcj 
rightly perform the arduous duties devolving upon them. 

3. Words of Encouragement. — Do not flatter. Flattery 
is deception. It can do no one any good, and has been the 
hurt of many. But a word of encouragement by way of 
approval for faithful service rendered, spoken at the proper 
time and in the right spirit, goes a long way in helping 
ministers over hard places. 

4. Assist in the Work. — Some people seem to think 
that the minister is called upon to do all the work connected 
with running a church, while the laity stand idly by, or hang 
on the brake lever. There is much that the laity can do in 
supporting the ministry in the work — visiting the sick, talking 
to the careless and unconcerned, speaking a word of encourage- 
ment to the despondent, urging the unsaved to accept Christ f 
admonishing the unruly, taking an active part in the general 
work of the church, be regular in attendance, etc., etc. Do 
not attempt to take the minister's place, but be helpful to him. 

5. Assist in Physical Labor. — The minister is trying to 
make a living for his family while performing the duties of 
his office. His ministerial duties require time, money, energy, 
and absence from home and his secular work. See to it that 
he does not suffer along this line. Plow his field, reap his 
grain, take his place in the shop ; divide up the loss of time aiv 1 
energy with him. Here the mutual "burden-bearing" law is in 
full force. 

6. Provide the Necessities of Life. — The minister and, 
his family need to eat, just as other people do. He is 
handicapped in providing a living because much of his time i$ 
spent in the evangelistic field and away from his secular work. 
This has a depressing effect on the family larder. You are 
aware of this; and you happen to know that he needs potatoes. 



330 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Send him over a bushel or so. Or it may be apples, a sack of 
flour, a basket of berries, or some other article for the table. 
You will not miss it and it helps the preacher and the cause. 
You will have several results from your gift. The minister's 
wants will be supplied; and you will have won the lasting 
esteem and gratitude of the minister and his family. It willl 
make his preaching better. You will realize the joy of giving 
and the blessing of the Lord will rest upon your head. Read 
I Cor. 9:11. 

7. Money. — Your minister may have financial obliga- 
tions to meet that are burdening his life. He has had sickness 
in the family and doctor's bills to pay. There is probably a 
mortgage on his property and the interest eats up his earnings. 
Neither his financial standing nor his ability to accumulate 
wealth may be of the best. Help him pay his debts. Let the 
congregation take the matter in hand and make it a church- 
wide affair if need be. At any rate, do not let the work suffer 
because your minister needs financial help that the congregation 
is witholding from him. 

However, let it be clearly understood, whatever you do 
for the minister by way of financial help, that you are not 
paying him for preaching the Gospel. You cannot do that. 
You would be out of place if you did it, even though you 
could. That is the Lord's part. He will reward His servants 
in His own good way, and according to their deserts. You are 
helping him because he needs the help. Because he will be irf 
better position to serve the Lord in the ministry, because it ia 
your Christian duty to do so. Whatever you do for him in 
the way of support in any line is because he needs it, not 
because of services rendered. 

Against A Stipulated Salary 

The Word of God is emphatically against the preaching of 
the Gospel or doing any other Gospel work for money. Gospel 
work has no money value ; it cannot be measured by dollars 
and cents. The Bible condemns men who serve in the Gospel 
for "filthy lucre" and disqualifies from the office of the ministry 






THE MINISTRY* 331 

those who would enter it for money. See I Tim. 3 :3 ; Tit. 1 : 
7, 11; I Pet. 5:2. Below are a few points against a salaried 
ministry : 

1. The Gospel is Free. — Salvation is a gift from God. 
Jesus made the Gospel free. What we are in Christ Jesus we 
have received without merit. "Freely ye have received, freely 
give." To put a money price on the Gospel, would make it 
impossible for a great many to hear or receive it. The 
Gospel is for all men. The only way that all men may have 
the benefit of the Gospel is to offer it universally free. The 
saying of Paul, "I robbed other churches, taking wages of 
them, to do you service" (II Cor. 11:8), does not mean that 
he took wages for his service; that is, was paid money for his 
preaching the Gospel, but that he accepted from other congre- 
gations what represented their wages, that he might serve the 
Corinthians. He accepted help when it was needed. He 
testified that he labored with his hands not only to support 
himself, but at times his colaborers as well. Acts 20:34. It 
is honorable, healthful and scriptural for a minister to labor 
with his hands to support himself and his family. 

2. The Minister the Servant of the Lord. — A servant 
naturally looks to his employer for his pay. The minister is 
the servant of the Lord, qualified of the Lord, called of the 
Lord, responsible to the Lord, and so dependent upon the Lord 
for his pay. He is not primarily responsible to man, but to 
God. "Study to show thyself a workman approved unto God" 
is the divine admonition. The Lord sets the "fullness of the 
earth" before the minister, from which he may draw his 
livelihood. He also lays it upon the faithful ones with whom 
he labors to help him bear the burden of obtaining that liveli- 
hood, if it becomes necessary. But God gives him his wages 
in a higher form than that of money. The minister of the 
Gospel who goes into a contract and sells his heaven-ordained 
calling, his God-given gifts and his powers dedicated to the, 
ministry for a stipulated amount of money, is taking an 
unscriptural course and must in the end fall short of the divine 
approval. 



332 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

3. The Salary A Muzzle. — When a man or a set of 

men employ another and pay him a stipulated amount of money 
for his time and his accomplishments, they have a legitimate 
right to dictate the kind of work to be done and the manner 
of doing it. When this is applied to the ministry, it can 
readily be seen how such an arrangement would destroy freedom 
of speech and independence of thought and action. The 
minister with a salary attachment has a muzzle on his organs of 
speech. Concerning many of the popular evils of the day he 
must keep quiet. If he speaks against them, as his obligation 
would demand, he either loses his job or his living, or both. 
Such ministers put themselves into the predicament of becoming 
"dumb dogs, they cannot bark" (Isa. 56:10), or where they 
dare not bark at sin. No minister of the Gospel has any moral 
right to place himself into a position where he may not freely 
speak the truth as it is in Christ Jesus, and as the occasion and 
the Holy Spirit may direct. 

4. Commercializes Gospel Work. — Jf the minister's 
work is to be placed upon a plane with all other .professions, 
it is but natural that the commercial phase should go with it. 
and so it should not be surprising to hear that a certair 
minister with brilliant talents has been called of the Lord ( ?) 
from a lower salaried position to a higher one. This commer- 
cial spirit among salaried ministers takes such deep root that 
the minister often arbitrarily demands his salary and collects 
by any v means the law allows him. The spirit of the Gospel 
is the spirit of sacrifice. The spirit of commercialism is 
antagonistic to the spirit of sacrifice and when allowed to get 
into the work of the ministry it kills the very purpose for 
which the Gospel was first preached. This commercialistic 
spirit has reached such proportions that preacher's unions an* 
formed, which fix salaries, make demands on congregations an^ 
if they want the Gospel preached they must take it after the 
fashion of the union and pay the price fixed. God, protect 
us against a commercialized ministry! 

5. Becomes an Entangling Snare. — The Word declares: 



THE MINISTRY 333 

*'He that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's 
freeman," and admonishes, "be not ye servants of men" (I 
Cor. 7:22, 23). To go into a contract to preach the Gospel on 
a money basis robs the "servant of the Lord" of that freedom 
from men and places his feet in an entangling and dangerous; 
snare. He is expected to live after the highest order of the 
day. He has a family to support who also must live like the 
pastor. This requires all the money he gets. He is tempted to 
stoop down and please men, for to them he looks for hie 
support, to them he is responsible, from them comes his 
living. He cannot please God and man, and so having been 
caught in the fowler's net, he "makes the best of circum- 
stances" and caters to the vanities of men instead of the glory 
of God. His people have "itching ears" and he must keep 
them tickled to hold his place with them. What a deplorable 
predicament for God's "freeman" to drop into! 

Then, again, a salaried ministry is a snare to entrap into 
its employ brilliant young men who have not the first qualifica- 
tions for the sacred office. They are unconverted. They know 
nothing of the inner voice of the Spirit. They disregard many 
of the fundamental doctrines of the Word. They do not know 
and do not stop to think whether they care what becomes of 
the souls of men. They only consider that here is a clean, 
honorable profession open to them. It does not require the 
wearing of "every-day" clothes, or soiled hands, or hard work. 
It offers the opportunity of moving in the best society, to be 
called "reverend" and be respected and honored by the masses ; 
to get off flowery sermons and eloquent orations, to feel the 
pleasant sensations of carrying an attentive audience with you 
in thought and argument, to see your name heralded in the 
papers as being a great orator, a popular preacher. So 
imregenerate men enter the sanctity of the ministry for thei- 
bauble of a high salary and personal aggrandizement, rather 
than for the saving of lost souls and the glory of God. Thus 
the whole purpose of the ministry is frustrated, the Church is. 
made a social center and souls of men are lost because men 



334 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

have chosen to enter the ministry for the shining dollar rather 
than for the shining crown given to all those who keep the 
faith and fight the good fight of the Lord. 



CHAPTER III 

THE CONGREGATION 

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go 
into the house of the Lord. — Psa. 122:1. 

Introductory 

The words "church" and "congregation" are often used 
synonymously. In the Word of God the word "church" is used 
to represent (1) the general body of believers (Acts 2:47); 
(2) a local church or congregation (Acts 8:1), and (3) 
members of the visible body of Christ without reference to 
locality, organization, or number (Acts 12:2). The Greek word 
"ekklesia," usually translated "assembly," is used to represent 
both the Church and a congregation in the Church. The 
congregation is the Church in organized form, located in any 
one place, and is composed of both the laity and the ministry. 

Organization. — Every properly organized congregation 
consists of a body of truly converted and baptized members of 
the Church in sufficient number to form a regularly worshiping 
assembly. This body is presided over by a bishop or ministers, who 
are usually assisted by a deacon or deacons. In most churches 
the regular congregation also supports a Sunday school and 
other auxiliary organizations needed to take care of the various 
activities of the Church. Members moving into a new com- 
munity should always see that a sufficient number locate near 
enough together to effect an organization for a congregation 
and conduct a Sunday school, thus preserving the order of the 
worship of God's house, maintaining the spiritual life of the 
members and leading their children into the faith once delivered 
to the saints. 

Qualifications of Membership. — The qualifications for 
admission into a local congregation should be the same as those 
for admission into the church in general. Only such persons 



336 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

who (1) have thoroughly repented of their sins, (2) give 
evidence of genuine conversion, (3) have been duly baptized on 
their faith, (4) declare themselves in full accord and harmony 
with the faith and practices of the church, (5) live lives 
separate from the world and are consecrated to God and, (6) 
express a willingness to fully submit themselves to the Word 
of God and the order and discipline of the Church should be 
considered eligible for membership in full standing and fellow- 
ship in any congregation of the brotherhood. 

Relation of Local Congregation to Church at Large 

It is important that each congregation take its proper place 
in relation to the general body of the Church. It is well to 
keep two points well in mind : ( 1 ) That the local congregation 
owes its existence to the fact that it is a component part of the 
Church at large, and as such has obligations to meet and 
support to draw from the parent body; (2) that the Church at 
large owes a general care over and support to the local con- 
gregation and has the privilege to draw on the same for recruits 
in the service. 

The Congregation A Part of the Church.— The entire 
Church, north, east, south, west, at home and abroad, comprises 
the "body of Christ" on earth. As the natural body is made up 
of parts and members, so the Church is made up of local 
congregations, and the congregations in turn of individual 
members. While the local congregation is a working unit in 
itself, yet as a part of the whole, it owes something to every 
mther part, and in turn is dependent upon the head and every 
other part of that body. In working out this interrelationship 
between the various congregations and the Church as a whole, 
there have been organized institutions and conferences where 
the various congregations are represented: (I) The local 
(Conference, comprising a number of congregations in a district, 
winch considers questions affecting directly the congregations' 
within the district; (2) The General Conference, composed of 
the variotrs district conferences, whose province it is to consider 
i[iH'sli(.n< nffVrting the various district conferences and the work 



THE CONGREGATION 337 

-of the Church at large. In the local conference the congrega- 
tions within the district come into direct contact with one 

.another and in the general conference representatives of the 
local conferences come into direct contact. Thus in a direct or 
indirect manner each member of a local congregation is 
connected with all the work of the entire Church. The 
individual member reports to his congregation; the congrega- 
tion, if need be, carries it to the district conference, and if the 
matter has sufficient merit, it is taken by the district conference 
to the general conference. In this way the influence, in- 
telligence, sympathy, energy and spirituality of each member 

-may be felt throughout the entire body of the Church, and the 
united influence of the whole Church is available for each 
individual member. This is the order taught in the Gospel. 
See Acts 15 and I Corinthians 12. 

Obligations and Privileges of the Local Congregation. — 

Each individual congregation should be made to realize its 
-obligation in supporting the general work and institutions of 
the Church at large — its missions, its publications, its educa- 
tional institutions, its benevolent activities and all the objects of 
support organized and maintained by the Church. The same 
may be said of its conferences. Each congregation should be 
represented in each session of the district conference and also 
in the general conference. Only as the local congregations 
ardently support the various institutions and activities of the 
Church can she hope to accomplish the greatest good for the 
cause and bring glory to the Head of the Church — Jesus Christ. 

Governmental Authority 
As noted in a preceding chapter, three forms of church 
government are in use : Episcopalian, Presbyterian and Con- 
gregational. Under the first form the authority of government 
is vested in an absolute head, as the pope, or in an episcopacy 
composed of cardinals or bishops. The Presbyterian form of 
government provides for a presbytery or synod composed of 
representatives who are set in control of the body. By the 
'Congregational form, each congregation has absolute authority 



338 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

and may pass on rules of order, adopt governmental measures, 
drop out forms and doctrines, introduce innovations, accept or 1 
reject any or all decisions of conferences. In fact, by applying 
this form of government, strictly, each congregation would 
become absolutely independent of any and all other congrega- 
tions and authority in the Church. 

It will be readily seen that none of these forms of govern- 
ment, used independently, is ideal. By the first, a few men in 
the Church could dictate and control the entire body, thus 
establishing an ecclesiastical heirarchy, distasteful and ruinous 
to the best interests of the cause. By the second, the individual 
congregation would have no way to express itself directly. By 
the third, each congregation could withdraw from the main 
body, so bringing about endless schisms and working ruin to 
the Church in general. 

That neither one of these forms of government should be 
used independently of the other two is apparent; that prin- 
ciples involved in each have a part in every well regulated 
congregation is equally clear. Each congregation should have a 
voice in the making and enforcing of church discipline. More- 
over, each congregation should realize that it is but a part of a 
greater organization and should cheerfully submit to such 
regulations as the representatives of the entire Church consider 
wise and prudent in the furtherance of the best interests of the 
entire body. "In multitude of counsellors there is safety" 
(Prov. 24:6). 

Congregational Duties 

The duties of laity to ministry and ministry to laity are 
discussed at some length in the chapter on THE MINISTRY. 
(See pp. 302-334.) It will be the aim here to confine the 
discussion on these duties more especially to the local congrega-* 
tion rather than to the Church at large. 

Duties of Ministry to Laity. — Much depends upon the 
ministry in making the work of a congregation successful. A 



THE CONGREGATION 339 

congregation cannot prosper when led by an unqualified or 
disloyal ministry. "Like priest; like people," is an old adage 
whose truth is not yet spent. The word of God lays many! 
obligations upon the servants of the congregation. 

1. The minister is the servant of the congregation. While 
the minister is at the head of the congregation, he must not 
for a moment lose sight of the fact that he is the chief servant 
of the people under him. Should he lose sight of this fact, 
become officious, magnify his authority or standing as a leader, 
look upon the laity as underlings and inferiors, begin to "lord 
it over God's heritage," he is likely to lose his hold upon God, 
his influence in the congregation and his usefulness in the 
service. Jesus sets the example as Lord and yet as chief 
servant, both in word and in example. He classes all ministers 
who do not subscribe to this duty as chief servant with the 
Gentiles, but teaches a nobler way. See Matthew 20:25-28. 

2. It is the duty of the ministry to "feed the flock. 1 ' To 
see that the congregation is well supplied with wholesome food 
in the form of sound Gospel teaching, pure literature, helpful 
advice; paying special attention to the nurturing of the lambs 
of the fold, a duty of primary importance devolving upon the 
ministry. Read Acts 20:28 and I Peter 5:2. 

3. It is the duty of the ministry to clearly and fully teach 
the doctrines of the kingdom. The minister must be more than, 
an exhorter to good works and faithful living. It is his duty 
to teach, explain and help the laity to recognize, understand and 
put into practice the doctrines of the Word (II Tim. 2:2). 
It is his duty to "rightly divide the word of "truth" for his 
congregation (II Tim. 2:15). He is charged with the respon- 
siblity of speaking those things "which become sound doctrine" 
(Tit. 2:1). He must constantly "give attendance to reading" 
and in every way lawful to qualify himself to serve the 
congregation by teaching intelligently and forcibly the doctrines 
of the Word and of the Church. The responsibility of keeping 
the congregation sound in the faith is laid at the door of the 
ministry. 

4. It is the duty of the ministry to expose and reprove 



340 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

sin. An unpleasant task in many ways, but the command is, 
"Cry aloud, and spare not, lift up thy voice and show my people 
their transgression" (Isa. 58:1). Paul commands Timothy (I 
Tim. 5 :20) to rebuke sin openly. This requires boldness and 
heroism, but also tact and a deep feeling of sympathy and love 
for the cause. The neglect of this duty brings sorrow and; 
defeat, while the faithful performance of the same will in the 
end yield a rich reward in a pure religion and a congregation - 
free from the corroding blight of sin in its members. 

5. The minister is the watchman of the congregation. It 
is a duty of paramount importance that the ministry watch 
over the flock and guard it against the encroachment of world- 
liness and harmful doctrines of which the world is so full in 
these latter days. The minister should be on the lookout and 
ready to turn aside the agent with questionable literature, 
especially along the lines of the false religious stripe. "Tramp*- 
preachers" with no clear recommendations should be kept out 
of our pulpits. A preacher worthy of his calling always has a 
place to preach the Word. He usually has more regular calls-' 
than he is able to respond to. He has a home congregation to 
care for, and need not go begging for a place to serve. These 
mendicant preachers and religious agents usually have some 
nostrums to peddle out among the uninformed, the gullible, and' 
the morbid that are not only worthless but often decidedly 
harmful, or they are the advance agents of some fallacious- 
cult whose devotees know it cannot be introduced regularly, 
and so they "climb up some other way" into the homes and 
lives of the saints. Beware of them! "Take heed to thyself 
and to all the flock" (Acts 20:28). "Watch thou in all things" 
(II Tim. 4:5). 

6. The ministry is responsible for the discipline of the 
congregation. The Church must be kept in order. Impenitent 
sinners must be excommunicated. The penitent require instruc- 
tion ; the unruly, correction. It is the duty of the ministry 
to take these things in hand and execute in the order of the 
Gospel and the Church. The Gospel requires church ruling to- 



THE CONGREGATION 341 

be done well, and promises good rulers a special reward. See 
I Timothy 5 :17. 

7. Visitation work. It is the duty of the ministry, as 
much as possible, to visit the members of the congregation in 
their homes, pray for and with them and by personal appeal 
and help encourage them in the work of the Church and the 
Gospel. The value of this line of work cannot lightly be 
overlooked. Read Acts 20:31 and Romans 1:9. 

Duties of Laity to Ministry. — The work of a congrega- 
tion is a success or a failure to the degree that the laity is 
faithful in performing its duty to and the supporting of the 
ministry, or the neglect of the same. Following are a few of 
the duties the laity owe the ministry : 

1. To pray for them. The prayers of a faithful con- 
gregation are a marvelous help to the ministry. Paul ascribes 
his success in a large measure to the prayers of faithful saints 
(II Cor. 1:11). The prayers of the congregation delivered an 
apostolic minister from prison and from probable death (Acts , 
12:5). All true ministers realize the worth of and long for 
the prayers of their congregations. See Col. 4 :2, 3 ; Eph. 
6:18, 19; I Thess. 5:25; II Thess. 3:1. Brethren and sisters, 
pray for your ministers. 

2. To render them willing obedience. "Obey them that 
have the rule over you, and submit yourselves" is the Gospel 
command (Heb. 13:17). Where there is a lack of obedience 
to those in authority there can be no successful work done in 
any congregation. "Rebellion (disobedience) is as the sin of 
witchcraft" (I Sam. 15:23) and it works havoc wherever 
found — in the home, in the nation, in the Church. Since the 
ministers are the legitimate and scriptural heads of the Church, 
it is the duty of the laity to accord them ready and implicit 
obedience. Should the minister need disciplining, he is subject 
to the same rules and regulations as is any other member; or, 
in case the congregation can not control him, it becomes thd 
duty of the conference to deal with him. It is never allowable 
for a lay member to take an obstinate position toward a 
minister. There are occasions when a member may consistently 



342 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

raise a question with a minister, but then he should "entreat 
him as a father" and never take a rebellious attitude toward 
him. A disobedient, obstinate, insubmissive spirit on the part 
of the laity of the congregation proves fertile soil for the seeds 
of anarchy to grow, which will end sooner or later in open 
revolt and schism. Just as a home cannot be successfully 
managed and kept in order without the ready obedience of the 
children, even so is it impossible to keep a congregation in 
order without the hearty support of the ministry in govern- 
mental matters. 

3. To respect and esteem them. "We beseech you, 
brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over 
you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them very 
highly for their work's sake" (I Thess. 5:12, 13). Nothing 
tends to so completely cripple the work of the minister as a lack 
of proper regard for him and his sacred calling on the part of 
the lay members of the congregation. Parents often unwitting- 
ly drive their children from the Church by expressions made in, 
the home reflecting upon the ministry. A young person once 
fully turned against one whom he should esteem, is rarely ever 
fully won again. Members should guard and enhance the 
reputation and standing of the minister whenever and wherever 
possible. A congregation can rise no higher in standing than 
that ascribed to the heads of the congregation. Take care of 
your minister's reputation. Read Phil. 2:29. Honor is due the 
ministry. Not that hollow honor that finds vent in vain, 
expressions of flattery, but that holy honor that Christ and the 
Word attach to the high calling. He who brings reproach 
upon the ministry by disrespect and lack of esteem, brings: 
reproach upon Christ, the Head of the Church, whose am- 
bassadors the ministers are. All church leaders should be 
honored, and the "elders that rule well" shall "be counted 
worthy of double honor" (I Tim. 5:17). 

4. To assist them in their labors. The Word teaches us 
to bear one another's burdens. This command applies in this 
case. Lay members can do much in assisting the ministry in 
building up and keeping in order the Church of Christ. They 



THE CONGREGATION 343 

can offer suggestions without assuming a dictatorial attitude. 
They can visit the sick and report their condition to the 
ministry. They can assist the minister in the preaching of the 
Gospel by prompt and regular attendance and giving wakeful 
and prayerful attention. If the message appears dull, spend 
the time you would feel excused to spend in sleep, in praying 
for the message-bearer. Be cheerful, polite and helpful to your 
minister and note the improved condition in both yourself, the 
minister and the congregation. 

5. To support them when in need. There are many ways 
by which you can be of help to your minister in the support of 
himself and family without giving him a stipulated salary. 
Help him with his physical labors. Supply needed food and 
raiment. It will be no sin to support him with a little real 
money at times, if his needs call for that kind of support. 
Do not try to pay him for preaching the Gospel, but see to it 
that he does not unduly suffer in a financial way while making 
the necessary sacrifice to serve the congregation. 

6. To follow their worthy example. It is the duty of the 
ministry to set the proper example for the flock (I Tim. 4:12; 
Tit. 2:7; I Pet. 5:3), but an example, a pattern, loses its 
value unless used in producing counterparts. The good example 
set by the ministry should be followed by the laity (Phil. 3:17; 
II Thess. 3:9). Blessed is the state of that congregation whose 
ministers set the true Gospel standard in all things, from the 
holy, consecrated life within to the consistent garb worn 
without, and whose laity humbly and consistently copy the 
standard of their leaders. 

6. To share their burdens and responsibilities. The min- 
ister who realizes that the members of the congregation are 
willing and actually do share with him the burdens that come 
upon him, the trials that beset him, sympathize with him in his 
apparent defeats and rejoice with him in his triumphs, be- 
comes the stronger in the added strength of the members. 
If, when the battle is fierce and his hands become weary, the 
Aarons and the Hurs come forward and sustain the drooping 
hands, he sees only victory ahead, no matter how severe the 



344. BIBLE DOCTRINE 

contest or how great the opposition. With the laity standing 
loyally by him in all things, the consecrated minister takes new 
courage and triumphantly declares, "I can do all things through 
Christ which strengtheneth me." 

The Layman's Opportunity 

The day is past when the work of a congregation rests 
solely upon the shoulders of the ministry. So many avenues 
of direct service are open to the laity, and so many oppor- 
tunities await its grasp that no one need pine for work, or 
excuse his inaction because there is nothing for him to do. 

The Sunday School. — The Sunday school is practically 
an indispensable part of every congregation, and superintend- 
ents, teachers, and other officers are needed. These as a rule 
come from the laity. Qualified and faithful Sunday school 
workers in their place are as essential to the welfare of a 
congregation as the ministry and other officials of the Church. 
With movements on foot for the preparation of Sunday school 
workers in teacher training classes, teachers' meeting's, Sunday 
school conferences and minor organizations where the best 
methods are discussed and the talent of the young people finds 
exercise, few members need go without some definite form of 
Gospel employment. 

The Young People's Meeting. — There is scarcely now a 
live congregation that does not support one or more Bible 
meetings especially for the younger members. This work is 
becoming church-wide and offers a splendid opportunity for 
the use and exercise of the God-given gifts of the young 
people, especially in the building up of the cause of Christ. 

The Mission Sunday School. — In many places there are 
opportunities for the organization of mission Sunday schools in 
out-of-the-way localities and yet not so far removed from the 
congregation as to make it impossible for the work to be' 
conducted from the home base. In this way the Gospel can be 
brought to those who cannot or do not attend the regularly 
appointed places of worship. Here is an opportunity for 



THE CONGREGATION 345 

consecrated lay members to assist in the evangelization of the 
world. 

The City Mission. — Besides these rural missions, which 
are usually cared for by those in the home congregation, the 
city mission is constantly calling for workers to help in bringing 
the good news of the Gospel to the lost and fallen in the dark 
regions of our cities. 

The Benevolent Institutions. — Our homes for the aged, 
for the orphans, our sanitariums and kindred institutions of 
the Church established for the sake of the poor and helpless 
are avenues through which our lay members may dispense their 
Christian energies in bringing cheer, courage and salvation to 
the unfortunates, thereby obtaining the reward promised in 
Matt. 25 :34-40. 

The Cause of Christian Education. — Nowhere within 
the bounds of Gospel activity is there a more important 
position awaiting the thoroughly consecrated, fully indoctrinat- 
ed, loyally espoused layman than in the educational institutions 
of the Church. Here will be found those who have a zeal to 
attain to a place in life where their developed talents may 
shine to the best possible advantage. He who is able to control 
these aspirations (not ambitions) to weave into the fiber of the 
maturing intelligence and knowledge the nobler thread of 
Christian loyalty and consecration to God and the cause of the 
church, has a gift, an opportunity, a work that is excelled by 
no other. These institutions are calling for laymen qualified 
for these positions. 

The Foreign Field. — No quarter of the Gospel realm is 
calling more loudly for true Christian workers than the foreign 
field. Here is another golden opportunity for you, my lay 
brother or sister. Prepare to embrace it and make the best use 
possible of your opportunity. 

Besides these special avenues open for the Christian 
laymen to enter, many others of a more general nature could be 
mentioned. To guide a Christian home where sons and 
daughters are reared for Christ and the Church is no mean 
occupation. To diligently manage a legitimate business or 



346 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

follow a worthy profession, saving a few dollars for the Lord's 
cause, affords a royal opportunity to labor in His vineyard in a 
practical way. Last, but not least, to be an exemplary, faithful* 
loyal Christian without any special attainments but to stand as 
a living witness for Christ is a godly art of such importance 
that the Lord has designed that they shall be used as Bibles 
for many (II Cor. 3:2) to convince them of the reality ancj 
power of the Gospel of Christ in the lives of men, for the 
world reads Christians more than they do the Bible. This 
opportunity is open to all. Seize it and use it to God's glory, 
and you will be sure of the crown that fadeth not away. The 
greatest need of the present day Church is consecrated laymen. 

Building up the Congregation 

As this subject is approached, two factors present them-f 
selves: (1) the hindrances to be overcome, and (2) the helps' 
to be enlisted. These two factors stare every congregation in 
the face and retard or enhance the work of building up the 
brotherhood. 

Hindrances. — It has been said that 

"Where God erects a house of prayer, 
The devil builds a chapel there." 

In the endeavor to build up a congregation for the Lord, tho 
forces of Satan must be dealt with and counteracted. Let us 
look at a few: 

1. Self -righteousness. The severest rebuke the Saviofl 
hurled at the self-righteous Pharisee was: "Ye entered not in 
yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered" (Luke 
11:52). The self-righteous still hinder those who would build 
up His cause. They are found in some form or other in the 
professed Church today. There is scarcely any remedy offered 
for them in the Word; but they must be reckoned with., 
Beware of self-righteousness. Let the only righteousness of 
the church member be the righteousness of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

2. Hypocrisy. A near of kin monster to self-righteous- 



THE CONGREGATION 347 

ness is hypocrisy. Where one dwells the other makes his 
abode. Read Christ's scathing rebuke of the hypocrites in 
Matthew 23, then set your attention to the cultivation of the! 
flower of humility and the grace of sincerity and thus remove 
a grave barrier to the advancement of the Church of God. 

3. Indifference. That which prevented the congregation 
at Laodicea from prospering in the true sense of the word and 
brought down upon it the rebuke of heaven, stands in the way 
of many a modern congregation in its efforts to grow in the 
Lord's vineyard. Let lukewarmness, carelessness, indifference 
and lethargy become entrenched in a congregation and its. 
efforts to develop a strong working body are practically futile. 

4. Worldliness. "The friendship of the world is enmity 
with God." It makes no difference in what relationship that 
friendship is cultivated. The Church of Christ has nothing in 
common with the kingdom of the world. "Ye are not of the 
world." "Be not conformed to the world." "Love not the 
world." These and kindred texts show clearly that the 
Christian has no part with the world. It is his duty always to 
avoid its friendship and association. When worldliness creeps 
into a congregation, godliness is crowded out. Jesus compares 
the worldly Christian to the seed growing among the thorns 
(Matt. 13:22). It is difficult to utilize it or even to gather it 
for the garner. One of the chief hindrances to the growth of 
spirituality today in our congregations is the presence of 
worldliness in some form or other, whether in business relations 
or methods, in the social life, in the marriage relation, in the 
adornment of the body or the home, or whereinsoever. It 
always has the same effect — that of destroying spirituality and 
preventing the advancement of God's work. Close the door 
against the greatest enemy of Christ in the Church — corroding 
worldliness. 

Helps. — Having disposed of a few of the hindrances to 
congregational growth, we will turn our attention to a few of 
the helps that make for genuine advancement. 

1. Unity in the Faith. According to Gospel order every 
member of a congregation is co-ordinately a part of the same 



348 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

body, and all are "members one of another" (Rom. 12:5). 
The worship of God and the testimony of faith should come 
from the entire body as from "one mind and one mouth" 
(Rom. 15:6). The measure of the perfect men in Christ 
consists in approaching that condition in the congregation 
whence it may be said that they are "all come in the unity of 
the faith" (Eph. 4:13). Having laid the foundation in the 
unity of the faith, we are in position to build well the house of 
God in the congregation. 

2. Mutual Love. The true test of the Christian life is 
the test of brotherly love I John 3 :14. The cultivation of 
the spirit of brotherly love makes much for the general 
advancement of the body of Christ. "Let brotherly love 
continue" is the admonition of the Word to those who would 
live truly successful in His service; also to "love one another 
with a pure heart fervently." Where love is the rule, there is 
peace, mutual sympathy and helpfulness and the spiritual uplift 
of the congregation is assured. 

3. Steadfastness. The congregation at Ephesus is held 
up as a model. The leading commendation given with regard 
to that church is its persistence and steadiness in the service. 
Four times is this quality mentioned. Their service was not 
spasmodic. They entered into the work with a sanctified 
determination that won the favor of the Head of the Church 
and that triumphed over all obstacles in the way. The Churcl) 
needs special occasions of revival and uplift but they are only 
stimulants. The quality it needs more is the quality that 
makes its members "not weary in well doing." A great writer 
once said that he "likes to read about Moses because he carried 
a hard business well through." Back of all special movements 
and stimulants intended for the uplift of a congregation must 
be patience, steadfastness and a willing readiness to labor 
without growing weary. f 

4. .Personal Influence. After all, the congregation con- 
sists but of a number of individuals, each exerting his own 
peculiar influence. It is the sum total of these personal 
influences that make or mar the standing and strength of the 



THE CONGREGATION 349 

congregation. Two companions in sin had been converted, 
They made claims for religious strength. A third doubted the 
power of salvation. He decided to watch the lives of these two. 
He left his office and dogged their steps for a week. They 
did not know it. He was convinced that they had something 
he did not have and which was of great value. He sought and 
found Christ. What would have been the result had these two 
Christians not allowed the light of Christ and the Gospel to 
shine out in their lives? Each member of the congregation is 
under watch. In answer to the question recently asked in a 
meeting as to what is the weightiest argument for or against 
Chrisianity today, the following was given by a wise member of 
the meeting: "The weightiest argument for Christ, and the 
weightiest argument against Christ today is the same argument 
— Christians." What is your personal influence? Read I Pet. 
2:15. 

5. Loyalty. In civic economy the most serious offender 
and the one most despised man is the traitor. He who is 

untrue to the cause he has espoused is without respect or 
esteem among friends and foes alike. On the other hand, he 
who is true to his profession, be it popular or ever so 
unpopular, wins and holds the respect of all who are respect- 
able. How this condition is intensified in the Christian 
economy ! Disloyalty on the part of the member of the Church, 
be it in ever so small a matter, militates against the best 
interests of the Church and the cause of Christ in general. 
Loyalty in all things to God and the Church carries with it a 
mighty influence and power to lift up and promulgate the work 
■of the Church. Let the watchword of each member of the 
•congregation be : Loyal to the doctrines of the Church. Loyal 
to the work of the Church. Loyal in separation from the 
world. Loyal in supporting the public service and all the 
activities of the congregation. Loyal to all that is good and 
•high and noble. Loyal to Christ. 

"Dare to do right, dare to be true; 
Ifou have a work no other can do; 
Do it so kindly, so bravely, so well — 
Angels will hasten the story to tell." 



PART V 



Christian Ordinances 



CHAPTERS 



I BAPTISM 

II THE COMMUNION 

III FEET WASHING 

IV DEVOTIONAL COVERING 
V THE CHRISTIAN SALUTATION Daniel Kauffman 

VI ANOINTING WITH OIL Daniel Kauffman 

VII MARRIAGE Daniel Kauffman 



A. D. Wenger 

David Burkholder 

L. J. Heatwole 

D. D. Miller 



CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES 

A Christian Ordinance is a religious ceremony with a 
heavenward meaning. The practical value of such ordinances - 
is to symbolize the most vital Christian principles, to furnish 
something tangible as an aid to the Church in maintaining 
the organization and to individual members in maintaining 
their Christian experience. It is not of such vital importance 
that we know all the exact reasons why these ordinances were 
instituted. It is sufficient to know that they were called into 
being by Christ and His apostles. Following is a list of 
Christian ordinances and what they mean to the Church: 

Water Baptism — "the answer of a good conscience to- 
ward God," the initiatory rite into the visible Church, the 
symbol of Spirit baptism, which initiates into the invisible 
Church of Jesus Christ. 

The Communion — instituted in memory of our Savior's 
broken body and shed blood, showing "the Lord's death till 
he come," symbolizing the unity and oneness of believers. 

Washing of Saints' Feet — a token of humility, and of 
mutual service, and of the brotherly equality of believers. 

The Devotional Covering — "a sign of authority," sym- 
bolizing the relation of Christian woman to Christian man,, 
as woman's long hair symbolizes the relation of natural wo- 
man to natural man. 

Salutation of the Holy Kiss — symbol of the "fervent 
charity" which should exist among believers. 

The Anointing of Oil — symbol of God's grace, manifest- 
ed in healing power. 

Marriage — the union for life of one man and one woman 
who thereby become "one flesh." 

A literal observance of these ordinances, when kept in 
the spirit of Him who gave them, can result only in great 
blessings to both Church and individual members. "If ye: 
know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." 



CHAPTER I 

BAPTISM 

Go ye .... teach all nations, baptizing them 
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost. — Matt. 28:19. 

Jesus came to John to be baptized of him. John hesitated, 
because Jesus was worthier and mightier than he. At the 
command, "Suffer it to be so now," and the reason, "for thus 
it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness," John baptized Him. 
What did Jesus fulfill? Were there any baptisms under the 
law? Yes; and He had to fulfill them as well as the rest of 
the ceremonial law. The law is "holy," "spiritual," "righteous" 
(Rom. 7:12, 14; 8:4). Jesus fulfilled every jot and tittle of it. 

Ceremonial Cleansings in the Law 

"Divers Washings." — All Who know the original Greek 
know that Paul's "diaforois baptismois" is translated "divers 
washings" (Heb. 9:10). This shows clearly that the purifying 
ceremonies of the Mosaic law were so many baptisms ("bap- 
tismois"). These were performed by applications of oil, water, 
or blood. Pouring oil upon the heads of those chosen to be 
priests was a rite that signified consecration and sanctification, 
preparatory to ministering unto the Lord in their priestly 
offices. "And he poured the anointing oil upon Aaron's head" 
(Lev. 8:12). Aaron and his sons were also sprinkled with 
blood and oil. Ex. 29:21. Also the Levites : "And the Lord 
spake unto Moses, saying, Take the Levites from among the 
children of Israel, and cleanse them ...... Sprinkle water of 

purifying upon them .... and after that shall the Levites go in 

to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation" (Num. 
8:5-15). For leprosy: "The oil that is in the priest's hand he 
shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed" (Lev. 



354 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

14:18). For uncleanness: "The water of separation hath not 
been sprinkled upon him: he is unclean" (Num. 19:20). 
There were many other instances of purifying, by pouring and 
sprinkling ("divers washings" — baptisms) which did not wash 
the surface of the body but which ceremonially cleansed the 
entire being. Moses sprinkled a few millions of people with 
blood and water and they were baptized. Heb. 9:10, 19. 

Sprinkling. — There is a translation of the Old Testa- 
ment from the original Hebrew into Greek by seventy-two 
Jewish scholars at Alexandria about 280 B. C. In the apocry- 
phal book Ecclesiasticus 34:25 it says, "He that washeth 
(baptizomenos) himself after the touching of a dead body, if 
he touch it again, what availetrr his washing?" That this 
baptism was sprinkling is plainly given in Num. 19:11-22. 
The ashes of the burnt heifer for the purification for sin, and 
iunning water shall be put into a vessel and the unclean person 
who touched a dead body shall be sprinkled with it. Those 
who made this translation so shortly before Luke, Paul, and 
others wrote the New Testament in the same language, certainly 
knew that this ceremonial cleansing by sprinkling water was a 
baptism, or they would not have called it "baptizomenos." 

The word "baptidzo" has many different forms according 
to the .voice, mood, tense, person, and number of the word in 
the sentence where it is used. Scholars tell us that in the 
writings of the heathen Greeks and Romans may be found 
more than twenty different meanings of this word. So it 
would be quite confusing to let heathen usages determine the 
significance and mode of Christian ceremonies. Let the Le- 
vitical law, not heathenism, be our schoolmaster to bring us to 
the light of the Gospel. The Word of God defines its own 
terms. We have no right to put into Bible baptism any other 
meaning than what the Scriptures give us. The Bible mode 
by effusion is in harmony with many early heathen usages. 

Washings. — Waslhing before meals is called baptism. 
"And when the Pharisee saw it he marveled that he had not 
washed (ebaptisthe— that is, baptized) before dinner" (Luke 



BAPTISM 355 

11:38). The Jews washed for meals and other purposes in 
running water: that is, by pouring water on the hands. "Here 
is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands 
of Elijah" (II Kings 3:11). There is nothing wrong in 
washing hands in that way, but to claim it as a necessary 
means to internal purification when it is nothing but a tradition 
of the elders is sinful. Jesus reproved them for making a 
ceremony out of hand washing. Matt. 15:1-20. 

In Mark 7:4 this traditional washing is called a baptism. 
"And when they come from the market, except they wash 
(baptisontai) they eat not. And many other things there be 
which they have received to hold as the washing (baptismous) 
of cups and pots, brazen vessels and tables." That the first 
baptism here has reference only to washing the hands is 
evident from the two verses preceding and the one following. 

The writer saw a Jew return from following a funeral 
procession. He had not touched the dead body but neverthe- 
less, according to tradition, he must purify himself. There was 
no one present to pour water for him, so he poured water first 
on one hand and then on the other. According to the marginal 
reading ("in the original, with the fist"- — Mark 7:3) he made 
a fist in holding the vessel with one hand to pour water on 
the other. 

How were the cups, brazen vessels, etc., baptized (baptis- 
mous) ? It was not a matter of washing them to make them 
clean, but of ceremonially purifying them according to their 
tradition. Any small quantity of water poured or sprinkled on 
these articles would have purified them. Christ may have had 
this in mind when He spoke to the Pharisees about making 
clean the outside of the cup and platter and not the inside. 
Matt. 23 :24, 25. It would have been an easy matter to have 
put these vessels into water and washed both outside and in to 
make them clean, but the object was ceremonial cleansing. 
Objects are often filthy with dirt when the Jews have finished 
their purification. But Mark says that there were also tables 
or beds (margin) baptized. A great, bulky affair these table- 



356 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

beds were. These things were certainly all baptized the same 
way, and by effusion, as was their manner of purification. 
•The beds have stuffed mattresses, some highly ornamented. 
Men recline on them at meals. Jesus having a half-sitting 
posture on such a bed at the table, a woman could easily stand 
behind Him and wash His feet with her tears. 

What these Ceremonies Teach. — Jesus did not fulfill 
these Jewish traditions but condemned them; however, they 
give us light as to the design and mode of baptism. There 
were divers baptisms (cleansings and purifications) which were 
God-given, as we have already noticed, and which Jesus did 
fulfill. We know that at His baptism He fulfilled something, 
or He would not have spoken of a fulfillment. And what 
could He more properly have fulfilled by baptism (which 
signifies inward cleansing) than those ceremonial cleansings 
or baptisms of the Jews? 

He also fulfilled an example for all Christians to follow. 
"He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second" 
(Heb. 10:9). The Levites were consecrated at the age of 
thirty for their ministry in the sanctuary (Num. 4:47), the 
same age at which Jesus (Luke 3:23) was baptized and entered 
upon His active ministry, and became the great High Priest of 
the new dispensation. The word baptism is not found in the 
Old Testament and we would not know that those acts of 
purging, purifying, cleansing, sanctifying, and consecrating 
were baptisms were it not for the light of the New Testament 
upon them. The act of God to His people in the Red Sea was 
never, to our knowledge, called a baptism until more than 
fifteen hundred years afterwards when Paul wrote to the 
Corinthians. I Cor. 10:1, 2. The apostles who administered 
baptism in the Christian Church were inspired to recognize 
certain similar ceremonies in the Old Testament as baptisms. 

The Red Sea Baptism. — God baptized with water in the 
Red Sea. By it the Hebrews were ceremonially initiated into 
covenant relationship with God under the leadership of Moses. 
They were converted to that just shortly before. "Moreover, 



BAPTISM 357 

brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all 
our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the 
sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the 
sea." This tells the place but not the mode of baptism, just as 
"in the wilderness," "in Aenon," "in Jordan," tell where but 
not how. 

All the night of the Red Sea journey the pillar of cloud 
stood between the fleeing Israelites and pursuing Egyptians, 
giving light to the former and darkness to the latter. Ex. 15, 16. 
With dry ground beneath their feet (Ex. 14:29), walls of 
water far enough away to allow several millions to pass 
through, no clouds in front, the shekinah behind, and rain 
clouds in the sky above, the hosts of Israel "were baptized unto 
Moses." Where did the baptismal water come from? Read 
Psa. 77:17-20: "The clouds poured out water .... The voice 
of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the 

world Thy way is in the sea .... Thou leddest thy people 

like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron." "The clouds 
poured out water" — baptism at the hands of God Himself 
upon a pathway miraculously dried from sea and rain. 
Messianic Baptism 

Baptism had never been used as a uniform rite to be 
administered but once in a lifetime until John began his 
ministry. John was the forerunner of Christ, and "Jesus made 
and baptized more disciples than John." Some of John's 
disciples, after spiritual enlightenment (Acts 19:1-5), were 
again baptized in the name of Jesus. John's converts repented 
and were baptized unto their repentance by John to whom they 
had confessed their sins, and by whom they were told to 
believe on Jesus Christ who should follow after. Baptism 
symbolized purification from sin, and was also the initiatory 
rite to John's following and later to the Christian Church. 
Baptism had now become a fixed and only initiatory rite to a 
new following, and was no longer used as "divers washings" 
for various occasions at different times in life. The Jews 
sent priests and Levites to John, saying, "Who art thou ? . . . . 
Why baptizest thou then if thou be not that Christ" (Jno. 



358 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

1:19, 25)? ("Messiah" in Hebrew is interpreted "Christ" in 
Greek. — Jno. 1:41.) They had learned through prophecy that 
Messiah should come, also that He would baptize, and they 
could not understand why any one should baptize before the 
Messiah had come. The ceremony they knew from prophecy, 
but they were unable to account for John the forerunner. 
Where had they learned in prophecy that Christ would 
baptize? If they found it then, can we not find it now, in the 
light of its fulfillment? 

The Light of Prophecy. — The Lord through the proph- 
ets says, "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and 
floods upon the dry ground : I will pour my Spirit upon thy 
seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring" (Isa. 44:3). 
'"Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be 
clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I 
cleanse you" (Ezek. 36:25). 

This was not to be mixed with ashes, or to be in any way 
filthy. They likely understood only the most literal meaning 
of these passages, but we who know their fulfillment and their 
farreaching significance know that that meaning was in it too 
as a symbol of the real. Apparently they did not know that 
Christ would "pour out His soul unto death," shed His blood 
to purify the world, rise again, and from the heavenly holy of 
holies baptize with the Holy Ghost. Many prophecies said that 
He that should come would pour, sprinkle, and purify, and the 
Jews who for over a thousand years had known this way of 
purification — to pour or sprinkle some liquid on the person or 
object to be purified, — could readily see the symbol (water 
baptism) if not the real (Holy # Ghost baptism). 

Of all the prophecies that pointed to the Messiah as a 
baptizer and moved the Jews to question John's right to 
baptize (Jno. 1 : 19-28) there was perhaps none more im- 
pressive than Mai. 3 :2, 3 : "But who may abide the day of his 
coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is 
like unto a refiner's fire, and like a fuller's soap: and he shall 
sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the 



BAPTISM 359 

sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may 
offer unto the Lord an offering of righteousness." When only 
about four hundred years later John came preaching repentance 
and administering the well known rite of purification, it seemed 
likely to them that now had come the Messiah, the expected 
Purifier. Learning that such was not the case they ask, "Why 
baptizest thou then?" John prepared the way and Christ the 
great Refiner continues to this day to "purify unto himself a 
peculiar people," having water baptism as a figure of cleansing 
from sin. 

Get a Greek Testament. Read (or have read) Heb. 9:10 
as Paul penned it down. "Diaforois baptismois" means many 
different baptisms as fully and as truly as it means "divers 
washings." There is no difference between the two renderings. 
In Greek the same thing is mentioned in Heb. 6:2 ("baptismon 
didaches"), translated "Of the doctrine of baptisms," some 
translators rendering it, "of the doctrine of washings," mean- 
ing the same. Paul follows right on in Heb. 9:12, 13, 19, 21 
and tells what some of the baptisms of the tenth verse were, 
summing them in V. 22 saying, "And almost all things are by 
the law purged with blood; and without shedding blood there 
is no remission." God's testimonies are impregnable. If all 
these baptisms pointed to the application of the individual to a 
large body of water, blood, or oil, and to submerging the 
whole body beneath it for cleansing, then with all our hearts we 
would believe in baptizing the same way now. If there were 
one scripture corresponding, for instance, to Isa. 52:15: "So 
shall he immerse many nations," it would be out of harmony 
with all other scriptures. In fact, immersion or its equivalent 
as a ceremony to be administered to God's people is not so 
much as named in the sacred message. 

These sprinklings and pourings did not literally wash and 
cleanse even the surface of the body, neither does water 
baptism perform that service now; but they were nevertheless 
called washings or purifyings. Why? Because they purified 
ceremonially. "For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the 



360 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the 
purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of 
Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without 
spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve 
the living God" (Heb. 9:13, 14)? So baptism with water is 
not to wash away the filth of the flesh, but is a figure of 
salvation wrought by purging the conscience from dead works 
by the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus. (See I Pet. 3:21; 
Heb. 10:22.) We are purified inwardly by the sprinkling of 
the blood of Jesus, sprinkled upon our hearts, giving us an 
inward baptism, with which the baptism of the Spirit jointly 
takes place. By Jesus' Calvary baptism the world also was 
purified from original sin. * 

Purifying. — Baptisms with the blood of animals ceased 
with the fulfilling of the ceremonial law. He who told John 
what to baptize with, and what to baptize for, did not need to 
tell him how to do it, for that was known to all Israel. A 
question, however, about purifying arose when John and Jesus 
were baptizing at the same time on the west side of the Jordan, 
perhaps not far apart. "Then there arose a question between 
some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying" (Jno. 
3 :25 — R. V., "questioning arose on the part of John's dis- 
ciples"). It appears that they had been trying to win converts 
from their former brethren, the Jews, over to John's disciple- 
ship, claiming that his purification was superior to the religious 
washings under the law. The Jews, of course, held up their 
purifications as the best, and in turn accused the disciples of 
schism among their brethren with Jesus at the head of the 
strongest division, evidently causing John's disciples to feel 
unkindly toward Jesus because He had started a similar work 
and was purifying more disciples than John. Jno. 4:1. "And 
they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was 



♦Menno Simons (P. 30) calls this application of blood a baptism. 
"Yea," he says, "the helpless, innocent children, though bap- 
tized with the blood of the Lord, and having the sure promise 
of the kingdom of. God, if not baptized with this (Catholic) 
baptism, must be buried without the graveyard as accursed." 



BAPTISM 361 

with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, 
the same baptizeth, and all men come to him" (Jno. 3:26). 
This question involves all the scriptural baptisms from the 
passage of the Red Sea until the time when the trump of God 
shall sound — those of the law and of the Gospel — and includes 
all under the one name, "purification." See in Lev. 14:18, 
Num. 19:11-21 and many other references how this purifying 
was done, and you have the mode. 

"Much Water." — "And Jolhn was baptizing in Aenon, 
near to Salem, because there was much water there" (Jno. 
3:23). Aenon can not be located with any certainty now by 
any one. One traveler places it on the Jordan, another six 
miles northeast of Jerusalem, and others in other localities. 
An old guide of whom it has bee*i said that "he knows every 
foot of Palestine better than any other man living" told the 
writer that "No one knows where Aenon was located." It 
was evidently west of the Jordan. Jno. 1:28; 3 :22, 26. "The 
name Aenon is a Greek form of the Chaldee word signifying 
'springs.' " — Smith. In the original Greek it is "many waters" 
(R. V., marginal reading). No one who understands Greek 
will deny that, for it says, "hudata polla en ekei," meaning, 
many waters were there. Here then were many waters or 
"much water," for baptismal purposes and to slake the thirst 
of the multitudes and their beasts of burden. Nearly all the 
villages and towns in Palestine are built by a spring or springs 
from which the people get their water. It is not likely that 
John took his converts into the springs from which the people 
of Aenon drank. He must have dipped the water out in 
vessels as needed, or lifted with his hands the water out of the 
shallow streams below the springs. 

We know that John applied the water to the people here 
as elsewhere, for he said, "I baptize with water." There is no 
Bible account that much water was ever used for the baptism 
of any single individual. The water, not the people, was 
handled. They baptized with water. 

Silent as to Mode. — In Aenon, in Bethabara, in the 



362 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

wilderness, and in the Jordan are the only given localities of 
John's baptism. Christ's baptisms, so far as we have any 
record, were confined to "the land of Judea"' (Jno. 4:1, 2; 
3:22). They give very few accounts of the observance of the 
ceremony and never any account of the mode, for that had 
long been given and understood. 

"With Water." — The baptism in Jordan has been a 
subject of much interest, chiefly because Christ was baptized 
there. "Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and 
all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him 
in Jordan, confessing their sins" (Matt. 3:5, 6). It was utterly 
impossible for him to do all this in six months, except "with 
water." 

The River Jordan is a stream of from 80 to 160 ft. wide, 
having a deep, swift current, especially in spring time. Here 
John baptized the multitudes, perhaps just opposite Jericho. 

"In Jordan" does not mean under the waters of Jordan, 
as some think. Such expressions as "in Jordan," "in the 
wilderness," etc., mean locality only. The baptisms in Jordan 
can not be proven to be immersions for the following reasons : 
(1) To have immersed the great multitudes in the allotted 
time would have been a physical impossibility. (2) If "went 
up straightway out of the water" (Matt. 3:16) proves that 
Jesus was immersed, then "were come up out of the water" 
(Acts 8:39) proves that the baptizer as well as the baptized 
was immersed. (3) John had no precedent in Scripture to 
baptize in this way. 

While considering the question of immersion we might 
add: Immersion means to put under the water only; that 
alone would drown the applicants. It takes an emersion to 
bring out. If the one who is to be baptized goes in himself 
until only head and shoulders are out, then only head and 
shoulders are put under in the name of the triune God. Most 
of the body is immersed by his own act in no name at all. 
In trine immersion most of the body is immersed once by 
the applicant himself, while head and shoulders are immersed 



BAPTISM 363 

three times. Those who advocate it do not really practice it. 
John said, "I baptize you with water/' Jesus said, "John 
truly baptized with water/' Nothing could be stronger, for Je- 
sus said truly he did. John handled the water some way, and 
applied it to the individual. To have dipped the individual 
into the water would have been to do something to the water 
with the individual. It is clear, consistent, and in harmony 
with the Word of God when we take the manner of baptism 
prescribed by the Word. The external ceremony is a sign of 
the great internal work of God. The only washing ever 
enjoined by Scripture upon believers and performed by an 
official administrator was done by sprinkling, or pouring. If 
sprinkling or pouring cleansed the flesh of all uncleanness 
under the law, much more will the blood of the Son of God 
now cleanse conscience, heart, soul, and body. 

Place of Baptism. — There is no evidence that John ever 
held services in a building of any kind. "He was in the 
deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel." During his 
ministry he ate locusts and wild honey and dressed in camel's 
hair. Services were held in open air, where Christ also 
frequently preached. Water being scarce in many parts of 
Palestine, it is not likely that they held prolonged services 
where there was not an abundance of water to refresh the 
multitudes. Jordan with its shady banks was a suitable place. 
Here he preached, had converts, and baptized them. 

Did John stand out in the river to baptize the multiplied 
thousands, or upon the river banks? All the ancient pictures 
show him to be standing at the edge of the water and the 
applicant standing in the water just in front of him, and he is 
in the act of lifting water either with his hands or a small 
vessel, and pouring it on the head of the applicant. There is 
no proof anywhere that John was in the water at all. There 
is no command as to where the applicant should be when 
baptized — river, pool, river bank, house, or desert — but the 
command is to apply the water. 

There is no scripture to show that applicants were taken 



364 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

any distance for baptism. When Peter and a number of 
converts were together in the house of Cornelius water was 
the only thing lacking for baptism. Peter said, "Can any man 
forbid water, that these should not be baptized?" In other 
words, "Can any man forbid that water be brought?" not 
forbid these to go to the water. Never in Scripture did any 
preacher and convert leave a place of worship and go out in 
search of water. 

Anointing with Oil. — The use of oil as a ceremony was 
discontinued, except for the sick. "Is any sick among, you? 
let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray 
over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord" 
(Jas. 5:14). We have never heard of any one anointing with 
oil except by pouring. Anoint with oil — pour oil upon them. 
Jesus anoints (baptizes) with the Holy Ghost — always by 
effusion. Baptizing with water — mode the same. 

Baptism, of Suffering. — The use of the blood of slain 
beasts passed away with the ceremonial law. The many 
baptisms with blood (Heb. 10:9, 22) defiled the surface of the 
body, yet God in connection with the outward ceremony 
purified the flesh. The sins were held in remembrance till 
Christ should take them away. Isaiah says of Christ's death : 
"He hath poured out his soul unto death .... and he bare the 
sins of many" (Isa. 53:12). Jesus calls this a baptism. "But 
I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened 
(pained) until it be accomplished" (Luke 12:50)? This great 
baptism was a terrible agony. Witness the drops of blood, the 
thorny crown, the bloody stripes, the crucifixion! The disciples 
had the same baptism, most of them being put to death. Mark 
10:39. 

Water Baptism. — Water alone began with John to be 
the only liquid element used in ceremonial baptism. Naturally 
ii has a cleansing efficacy and is within easy reach of all people. 
This can not be said of any other liquid. God sent John to 
baptize with water. No wonder he kept saying, "I baptize with 



BAPTISM 365 

water" since other liquids also had formerly been used, mostly 
blood. Heb. 9:22. 

The Mode. — Any small quantity of water may signify 
cleansing. In the absence of any instruction by Moses, John 
the Baptist, Christ, or the apostles as to the quantity to be 
used in baptism, the Church leaves this to the discretion of 
each administrator. The mode is usually termed "baptism by 
pouring." As stated before, since the baptism of the Holy 
Ghost, whenever mentioned, is mentioned in connection with 
effusion, it is but natural to conclude that the baptism with 
water should be by the same mode. 

Leprosy is a most striking example of sin. In the cere- 
mony for cleansing the leper, oil was poured on his head. Lev. 
14:18. We pour water to symbolize the internal cleansing of 
the soul from the leprosy of sin by the poured out blood of 
Jesus. 

The priests were consecrated to their office by a ceremony 
in the course of which oil was poured upon their heads. 1 Ex. 
29 :7-9. There has been a change in the priesthood. Jesus 
Christ has been anointed "the great high priest" (Acts 10:38; 
Matt. 3:16; Heb. 4:14), and all believers are by Him made 
priests. Rev. 1 :6. They are also anointed with the Holy 
Ghost, and we are become a "royal priesthood." Anointing 
with oil was a type of the anointing with the Holy Ghost. 
That anointing consecrated for service, and so it does now. 
Acts 1 :8. Jesus fulfilled the old and instituted the new order 
of anointing when He was baptized with water and anointed 
with the Holy Ghost in Jordan. 

Joel, John, and Jesus all foretell an event that results in a 
baptism. Joel said, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that 
I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh" (Joel 2:28). John 
said, "I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall 
baptize you with the Holy Ghost" (Mark 1:8). As the time 
drew near Jesus said, "John truly baptized with water; but ye 
shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence" 
(Acts 1:5). About one hundred twenty had assembled, "And 



366 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing- 
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting 

and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 

2:2-4). As the sound filled the house the Scripture, "I will 
pour out of my Spirit," was fulfilled (vs. 16, 17, 33) and they 
were baptized with the Holy Ghost. Later, "on the Gentiles 
also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 10:45). 
Peter relates his experience saying, "As I began to speak the 
Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then 
remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John 
indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the 
Holy Ghost" (Acts 11:15, 16). When Peter witnessed the 
event it made him think of the two baptisms, with water and 
with the Spirit, and he said, "Can any man forbid water, that 
these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy 
Ghost, as well as we" (Acts 10:47)? John did with water 
what Jesus did with the Holy Ghost. If the one was an 
outpouring, what must the other have been? 

Water Baptism a Symbol of Spirit Baptism. — Paul says 
there is "one baptism" (Eph. 5:4). That is the one baptism 
mentioned in I Cor. 12:13: "For by one Spirit are we all 
baptized into one body." All true believers have been baptized 
into the one body, the Church of Christ, by the outpouring of 
the Holy Ghost. How about the Greek word "baptidzo" in 
all these Holy Ghost baptisms? It is there time and again, in 
every instance an outpouring. Jesus showed us how. 

Water baptism is a double symbol. From John till Pente- 
cost it was primarily a symbol of purification, the baptism of 
repentance. Now it is also a symbol of the baptism of the 
Holy Ghost, and becomes thereby an act of consecration. The 
priests were consecrated to their work by the anointing of oil. 
God's people of the present dispensation are consecrated for 
service by the anointing of the Holy Ghost. To regard water 
baptism as the real consecration, when it is only a symbol of it, 
is heresy. Peter held forth this doctrine when he commanded 
an outward ceremony for those who had just been baptized 



BAPTISM 367 

with the Spirit. Acts 10:44-48. The Ethiopian eunuch ex- 
emplified the same when with his heart he had believed unto 
righteousness and desired an outward emblem of it. Acts 
8:36, 37. ,( 

"Answer of a Good Conscience." — "The blood of Jesus 

Christ cleanseth us from all sin" (I Jno. 1:7). "Unto 

him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own 
blood" (Rev. 1:5). If the blood and ashes of animals 
sprinkled upon the unclean "sanctifieth to the purifying of the 

flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ purge 

your conscience from dead works" (Heb. 9:13, 14)? Baptism 
is the answer of that good conscience. I Pet. 3:21. Without 
d purged conscience baptism is a false answer, a false figure of 
salvation by the baptism of the Holy Ghost. 

There are two water figures of salvation in one connection, 
one like the other. "The ark was a preparing, wherein few, that 
is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto 
even baptism doth also now save us" (I Pet. 3:20, 21). The 
ark in which they were saved with water pouring down from 
the clouds is one figure. (Noah and his family were baptized 
but not immersed — the rest were immersed but not baptized.) 
Water baptism is a like figure. The water falls upon the head 
of the applicant and in the name of the Lord he is baptized. 
Baptism never washes away the filth of the flesh, never washes 
sins away, but it typifies cleansing. As the bread and the cup in 
communion are the body and blood of the Lord, not in reality 
but in type, so water baptism typifies the purification and 
salvation of the soul. 

A figure of anything is the form, shape, or fashion of it. 
Water baptism is the figure of the other two baptisms, the one 
with the blood of Jesus by which we are cleansed, the other 
with Spirit by which we are all baptized into one body. 
Having the Spirit and the cleansing of the blood, we are saved 
from sin. Water washes away sins in symbol only, for it js 
by the blood of Jesus that all sins are washed away. I Jno. 1 :7. 

Cleansing before Baptism. — Cleansing from sin should 



368 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

precede water baptism. Jesus worked that way when He was 
on earth. He forgave a helpless invalid in a crowded house. 
"When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the 
palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee" (Mark 2:5). He was 
then healed of his sickness. John demanded "fruits meet for 
repentance" before baptizing people. We observe baptism 
because our sins are already forgiven, not that they may be 
forgiven. 

"For the Remission of Sins." — Three thousand converts 
became anxious inquirers under Peter's Pentecostal sermon and 
Peter answered, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in 
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye 
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). Some 
interpret this to mean that it is through baptism that sins are 
remitted. That places the cleansing in the literal water, which 
is contrary to all Scripture. All the arguments in favor of the 
forgiveness of sins through the rite of water baptism are based 
on a surface view of a few pasages whereby they are wrested 
out of harmony with all other Scripture. The surface ad- 
vocates say that "for the remission" means in order that sins 
may be remitted. That makes water take the place of the 
blood of Jesus and the regenerating power of the Spirit. 
Those who place so much power in the water of baptism talk 
more about what water does for the soul than what the Holy 
Spirit does. With a faith and practice like that the truth is 
often obscured. One sermon on water baptism will arouse 
more interest among that class than ten sermons on Spirit 
baptism will. Under grace it is our blessed privilege to feast 
on the fruit of the Spirit rather than on types and forms as 
a substitute. 

To be baptized "for the remission of sins" is to be bap- 
tized because of the work which God has already done in 
cleansing the soul from sin. The same manner of expression 
id show a work already done occurs at other places. Take for 
example Luke 5:12-15. A man full of leprosy was cleansed by 
fesus. The leprosy had already departed, the man already 



BAPTISM 369 

cleansed; yet Jesus said to him, "Go, and shew thyself to the 
priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses com- 
manded, for a testimony unto them." The offering "for thy 
cleansing" was not that the cleansing may be effected, for that 
had already* been done, but it was "for a testimony" that it 
had been done. So the baptism "for the remission of sins" is 
not that sins may be remitted, but rather "for a testimony that 
sins have already been remitted, "the answer of a good con- 
science." No one should ever think of being baptized without 
lirst having experienced a forgiveness of sins. "Repentance 
unto salvation," a living faith in the Lord Jesus, then water 
baptism, is the Gospel order. 

The original Greek shows clearly that forgiveness comes 
before water baptism. With this agrees the revised version, 
"unto the remission" — that is, unto or after remission of sins 
water baptism should follow. The same Greek preposition 
"eis" which has been translated "for" in Acts 2:38 is translated 
"unto" in Matt. 3:11, and shows baptism to follow repentance. 

Josephus wrote in the latter half of the first century. He 
was learned and well acquainted with all the religious cere- 
monies of his time. He undoubtedly met many who had been 
baptized by John the Baptist. He says: "John that was called 
Baptist; for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and 
commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteous- 
ness toward one another, and piety toward God, and so to 
come to baptism; for that the washing (with water) would 
be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to 
the putting away (or the remission) of some sins (only) but 
for the purification of the body; supposing still that the soul 
was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness." (Book 
18. Chap. 5, P. 540.) Although a Jew himself, of the priestly 
class, and much accustomed to ceremonies under the law 
wherein the miraculous work of God often accompanied the 
outward ceremony, he was not too blinded to learn that in the 
new teaching John held forth, a thorough purification of the 
soul, before baptism, by Christ who is our righteousness, was 



370 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

expected. Observe how this Jew associates purification with 

baptism. 

The Baptism of the three Thousand. — "Then they that 
gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day 
there were added unto them about ' three thousand souls."" 
This occurred in Jerusalem when there were visitors of many 
nationalities attending the Jewish feast of Pentecost. Not a 
word is given as to the exact locality of the ceremony or the 
amount of water used. There are no flowing streams within 
five miles of the city. After Peter's sermon of "many other 
words" there would not have been time to go over the moun- 
tains so great a distance to baptize that many converts. It is 
not likely that the city authorities would have permitted the 
baptism of the multitudes in the reservoirs which furnished the 
city with water. One hundred twenty had been baptized that 
morning when God "poured out" His Spirit upon them. By 
the same mode the three thousand could have been baptized at 
the same place that afternoon. 

Does Water Baptism Precede Spirit Baptism? — Before 
the Comforter had come, and even after that when they had 
not been instructed concerning Him, He was received after 
water baptism. The apostles could not receive the great 
baptism before Pentecost. Some of John's disciples had not 
even heard of Him (Acts 19:2) when they were baptized, and 
were therefore baptized again. So with the Samaritans; they 
received Him some time after they had been baptized with 
water. Acts 8:5-17. The reception of the Holy Ghost is also- 
placed after baptism to the Pentecost converts. At first,, 
before the Holy Comforter was known, it followed water 
baptism among Jews and Samaritans who had the same form 
of worship. Later, \£hen the Gentiles (of which class we are) 
began to come in, the Holy Spirit as the Comforter preceded 
baptism. Even Paul, who was a Jew but who became a chosen 
missionary of the Lord to preach among the Gentiles, received 
the Holy Ghost before water baptism. Acts 9:17, 18. When 
Peter preached to a Gentile congregation in Caesarea they were 



BAPTISM 371 

all converted and "baptized into Jesus Christ" "because that on 
the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost." 
Afterwards they were baptized with water. Ever after, we 
have no mention in Scripture of any other order when converts 
were previously taught about the Holy Ghost. 

A Sure Promise — The promise of the Holy Spirit as a 
baptism and a Comforter is u to all that are called" of God in 
all ages. Acts 1:4, 5 ; 2 :39. "Now if any man have not the 
Spirit of Christ he is none of his" (Rom. 8:9). True "re- 
pentance to salvation" includes cleansing by the blood of Jesus, 
baptism with the Spirit, and a living faith in Christ. A true 
faith in the Lord also includes all that repentance does, and 
any one who has embraced it is a fit subject for baptism. 
''He that believeth and is baptized' shall be saved" (Mark 
16:16). Faith made ready for baptism the Ethiopian eunuch, 
Lydia, the Philippian jailor, and in fact all others. Jesus 
commands, "Go ye therefore, and teach (R. V., make disciples 
of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and 
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 

One Application Sufficient. — Only one application of 
water is necessary. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are recog- 
nized as the one triune God. They are all called God, have 
one name, therefore we read, "baptizing them in the name," 
not names. Three actions signify belief in three Gods, which 
is polytheism. Baptize with one application in the name of the 
three, just as Jesus will come in three glories at one coming. 
Luke 9:26. "Let all our actions be done in the name of the 
one triune God — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost — 
and not (as is done by those who baptize in three actions) in 
the name of each individual of the Trinity." 

Philip and the Eunuch. — Philip baptized an Ethiopian 
eunuch whom he found in his chariot returning from worship 
at Jerusalem, reading from Isaiah. Acts 8:26-40. Philip 
''began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus." 
At the sight of water the eunuch wondered what could hinder 
him from being baptized. He had the necessary faith, and 



372 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

was granted the privilege. The chariot was stopped at the 
water, the two went into the water, and Philip baptized him. 
Both went down into the water, and both came up out of the 
water. It does not say how deep the water, nor how much 
water Philip applied to him. That has been withheld from us. 
If it were told, multitudes would doubtless think that if they 
did just that way in every detail they would obtain salvation 
by the ceremony. 

Baptism of Saul. — Saul of Tarsus was baptized, evident- 
ly in the house of Judas in Damascus. Ananias came to him, 
laid his hands on him, and he received his sight, was filled with 
the Holy Ghost, arose (Gr. "anastas," having risen up), and 
was baptized. He was very weak from three days fasting and 
prayer. "And when he had received meat he was strengthened" 
(Acts 9:17-19). 

The Jailor Baptized. — In a Philip'pian jail, at the mid- 
night hour, the keeper of the jail and his family were baptized. 
Acts 16:25-40. Paul and Silas had been put into the inner 
prison. The earthquake awakening the jailor, he could see the 
doors open. This house was evidently a part of the same 
structure with the jail. To allow the prisoners to escape was 
unlawful and meant for him the death penalty. Thinking that 
the prisoners had escaped, he was about to kill himself. Learn- 
ing that none had escaped, he called for a light, sprang into the 
prison, came before Paul and Silas, and asked how he might be 
saved. Hearing the message of salvation through faith, he 
brought them into his own house where the apostles instructed 
the whole family. He then took them out of his house, washed 
their stripes, "and was baptized, he and all his, straightway." 
The ceremony was probably performed in the outer prison, or 
in a hall, with water provided for the prison. They were then 
brought into the jailor's house again. That the jailor had not 
unlawfully taken them out of the prison during the night is 
proven by the testimony of Paul who refused to leave the 
prison until the properly authorized persons should come and 
"fetch us out." 



BAPTISM 373 

Baptism soon after Conversion. — In every instance 
mentioned in Scripture where people believed on the Lord 
they were baptized shortly afterwards ; some the same hour, 
others the same day, never more than a few days after con- 
version. There is no scriptural ground for delaying the time 
of baptism six months or a year after good evidences of 
conversion. If the evidence is not clear on account of incon- 
sistent life or extreme youth, the Church should wait for 
"fruits meet for repentance." Sometimes converts are lost 
because they are exposed to the world so long before the 
Church receives them. Let the Gospel plan be followed, clear 
instructions given, and applicants received as soon as con- 
venient after they accept fully God's Word and will. The 
truly converted have a strong desire to unite with God's people. 
Such as realize life's end to be near become very anxious to 
unite as soon as possible. If we prefer not to delay baptism 
when the convert is* "sick nigh unto death," why should it be 
delayed for any sincere convert, knowing that any one may die 
at any time? 

Water Baptism not Regeneration. — Water baptism is 
not the new birth, but some virtually say that it is. Jesus said, 
"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not 
enter into the kingdom of God" (Jno. 3:5). This second 
birth is all from above. (See marginal reading of 7th verse, 
also the original Greek.) The idea that this means a birth of 
literal water would make the one baptized a child of literal 
water. Elementary water would then be the mother to afford 
nourishment to the new born creature. Impossible! Like 
begets like. We become new born babes in Christ Jesus by 
being born of the water which is the Word of God and of the 
Spirit which is God. The new born child of God is then a 
partaker of the divine nature. 

The pure Word of God is called zvater because it cleanses 
the heart and life of them that obey it. "That he might 
sanctify and cleanse it (the Church) with the washing of 
water by the word" (Eph. 5:26). "Now ye are clean through 



374 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

the word which I have spoken unto you" (Jno. 15:3). "But 
whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall 
never thirst" (Jno. 4:14). "Seeing ye have purified your 

hearts in obeying the truth being born again not of 

corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God 
which liveth and abideth forever" (I Pet. 1:23). What could 
be clearer? Natural substances, as water, flesh, wood, etc.,. 
are all corruptible, but the Word of God is eternal, and abides 
forever. The disciples knew the conversation with Nicodemus. 
Peter knew that the Word of God is the life-giving water of 
which we must be born again. Not the few references to 
water baptism, but all the Gospel of Christ becomes our 
mother. Peter tells us that this mother feeds the children just 
born into the family of God. "As new-born babes, desire the 
sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (I Pet. 
2:2). 

"Whosoever is born of God sinneth not." "God is a 
Spirit." To be born of water and of the Spirit is to be born 
of the Word, our spiritual mother, and of the Spirit (who is 
God) our spiritual Father. From these eternal parents we get 
eternal life. Jesus said, "Ye must be born again" (from 
above). Peter uses almost the identical expression, "being 
born again," and then tells us plainly that we are born of 
incorruptible seed, the Word of God. 

Some extremists say that if you are not completely sub- 
merged in water in baptism you can not enter the kingdom of 
heaven. Evidently they do not believe what they say, or they 
would never only partly submerge the applicant, which is often 
the case. 

Romans 6:3-6. — "Know ye not that so many of us as 
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death." 
What kind of baptism is meant here? The idea that water 
baptism converts us or buries us with Christ is unscriptural. 
It is the baptism of the Spirit which makes us right with God, 
"for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." "For 



BAPTISM 375 

as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" 
(Gal. 3:27). Water baptism makes a Christian of no one, but 
Spirit baptism does baptize »us "into Jesus Christ," as the 
Scriptures abundantly teach. The beginning of Rom. 6 and 
the whole chapter a/e one theme, dying unto sin and being 
made alive unto God — conversion. Through death there comes 
life. 

Baptism into Christ by the Spirit was apparently familiar 
to the Romans, and it is but natural that Paul should submit 
the question, "Know ye not that so many of us as were 
baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" 
Both the baptism of the Spirit and of suffering are here 
referred to. No one can be baptized into life without first 
having been baptized into death. 

Jesus said, "I have a baptism to be baptized with: and 
how am I straitened (pained) until it be accomplished?" 
When that baptism was "accomplished" He was dead on the 
cross. It is always wrong to bury before death takes place. 
The old life had to be crucified out and a burial of the dead 
take place before a new life could be ushered into existence. 
Some extremists argue that in this crucifixion on the cross 
Christ was overwhelmed or immersed in suffering. Everybody 
knows that all suffering is beneath the surface of the body, 
not on the outside. In His agony His blood was being poured 
out and His baptism of suffering was accomplished. He had a 
"baptism unto death." "He poured out his soul unto death 
.... and he bare the sins of many" (Isa. 53:12). He tasted 
"death for every man;" therefore we must be "baptized into 
his death" if we would be saved by being on the cross of 
self-denial. "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with 
him, that the body of sin might be destroyed." When we are 
"crucified with him" we die with him and are "baptized into 
his death," the crucifixion death. Through the death of Christ 
we are redeemed and brought to participate in air the privileges 
purchased by His death. The death of our carnal life was 
similar to Christ's death. "They that are Christ's have 



376 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Gal. 5:24). 
When Jesus' flesh was crucified His first life ended, after 
which He arose to a new life,. So must we be crucified, 
"baptized into his death," before we can walk "in newness of 
life." "If we suffer with him," "know Jhe fellowship of his 
sufferings," "we shall also be glorified with him." "Crucified 
with Christ," "dead with Christ," "planted together in the 
likeness of his death," all show that we, in a spiritual way, 
taste the same death that Christ tasted, and are therefore 
baptized into His death, the death of the cross. 

Christ's first life ended on the cross, not in the grave. 
So our old man died on the cross of self-denial, through or by 
the cross of Calvary. By that means all who are converted are 
"planted together in the likeness of his death." A momentary 
plunge in water is nothing like Christ's death on the cross. 
Neither is it anything like His burial in a rock-hewn sepul- 
chre, His body lying horizontally in an elevated place. If 
"buried with him" (V. 4) means a literal burial in water, then 
"crucified with him" (V. 6) means a literal death on a literal 
cross, an application which would make the teaching of the 
entire chapter ludicrous and void. 

The body of Jesus was buried and not suffered "to see 
corruption." The old life was extinct before burial. A 
Christian has had a similar experience. The life of "the body 
of sin" is gone before burial ; is lost to view, buried from 
sight, gone forever. Sin no longer reigns in our mortal bodies. 
Rom. 6:12. Physically we still have the same body, as Christ 
still had His same body, but spiritually we see no more the 
body of sin. A resurrection takes place and we behold a new 
life, a body presented a living sacrifice unto God. Christ's 
body in His first life bore sins. "Who his own self bare our 
sins in His own body on the tree" (I Pet. 2:24). The body 
after the resurrection bore no sin. So with us. The body of 
sin must be destroyed. Christ's body of sin was done away, 
and He obtained a body that bare no sin. "Knowing this, that 
our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might 



BAPTISM 377 

be destroyed (done away, R. V.) that henceforth we should 
not serve sin." Christ's body of sin was buried forever, and 
forever since He has a body that bears no sin. The Christian's 
body of sin (if he remains faithful) is done away forever. 
"Therefore we are (were, R. V.) buried with him by (through, 
R. V.) baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up 
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also 
should walk in newness of life." The new life is sheltered 
with Christ to remain with Him. "Ye are dead; and your life 
is hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). 

Resurrection follows burial. As the Father raised up the 
Son, and gave Him a body free from sin (for He was made 
sin for us), so we are raised up from the death of carnality, 
having a body controlled by a new life. "He that is dead is 
freed from sin." When the old body of sin is done away the 
resurrection of a new and better man is sure to come. "Ye 
have put off the old man .... and have put on the new man" 
(Col. 3:9, 10). We are crucified with Christ, die with Him, 
are buried with Him, and arise with Him. In Rom. 6:2-6 we 
have a spiritual crucifixion, a spiritual death, a spiritual burial, 
and a spiritual resurrection. To advocate a literal burial in 
water when everybody knows that the crucifixion, death, and 
resurrection, are spiritual, spoils the harmony of this impres- 
sive lesson and blinds the minds of the unstable and unlearned 
to place salvation in outward ceremonies. Water is not 
mentioned, and besides a momentary plunge in it is never a 
burial. The only watery grave mentioned in Scripture is the 
one that will not give up its dead until the resurrection at the 
Great Day. He who takes a part of this Scripture for out- 
ward ceremony robs his soul of a spiritual feast. The Spirit 
of God operating on the heart of the sinner and bringing him 
into death by a crucifixion of the flesh and into life in Christ 
by a resurrection from the dead, are the baptisms that prepare 
the way for a baptism with water. When the Spirit of God 
has been shed forth upon the penitent soul, he is then a proper 



378 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

subject to have the baptismal water poured upon him, which 
initiates him into the visible Church. 

Paul's Baptisms. — The history of water baptism oc- 
cupies but little space in Scripture. We have considered most 
of the instances given of its observance. The last in point of 
time was the baptism of some Corinthians. Paul says, "I 
thank God that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius 
.... also the household of Stephanus .... for Christ sent 
me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel" (I Cor. 1:14-17). 
If this outward ceremony would accomplish what some claim 
for it, Paul would have thanked God that he washed away the 
sins of so few of the Corinthians, for he had baptized only a 
few of them. He says, however, "In Christ Jesus I have 
begotten (given birth to) you through the gospel" (I Cor. 
4:15), and calls them his "beloved sons." He was the means 
of bringing them to Christ and through Him to salvation. 
Christ and His Gospel alone have the power to regenerate. 
Water baptism should not be administered until after the new 
birth. 

Infant Baptism 

Infants are not to be baptized and received into the visible 
Christian Church. When Jesus took them up into His arms 
and blessed them we are sure that He did not baptize them, 
for "Jesus himself baptized not" (Jno. 4:2). In fact, the 
Bible is completely silent on the baptism of infants, recording 
not one single instance where an infant was baptized. We 
read of four households that were baptized. The jailor was 

baptized, he and all his and rejoiced, believing in God 

with all his house" (Acts 16:33, 34). They all believed, all 
old enough to have faith. Cornelius "feared God with all his 
house." No infants were baptized there. The household of 
, Stephanus were Christian workers and bore fruit. I Cor. 
1:16; 16:15, 16. None could have been infants. There is no 
proof that there were infants in Lydia's household. Acts 
16:15, 16. If whole households can be subverted (Tit. 1:11) 
without subverting infants whole households can be baptized 



BAPTISM 379 

without baptizing infants. The subversion of infants is im- 
possible; the baptism of infants, unscriptural. 

Jesus taught the people and made them His followers 
before He permitted His disciples to baptize them. "J esus 
made and baptized more disciples than John" (Jno. 4:1). 
Jesus and John both made and then baptized their disciples. 
The apostles did the same, never baptizing until their hearers 
professed faith in Christ. There was not one infant among 
the class of three thousand who were baptized at Pentecost, 
for infants can not "repent" and "receive the word." The 
apostles obeyed the Great Commission to "teach (disciple) all 
nations, baptizing them." Without one single recorded excep- 
tion all the apostolic churches were obedient to the Master's 
command to make the disciples first and then baptize them on 
their faith in Christ. 

Infant baptism is a relic of the- Roman Catholic and other 
similar churches. It came into existence very early (Menno 
Simons and others say in the second century) and was prac- 
ticed ever since. Since the Reformation it has been practiced by 
Protestant churches that have not fully come away from Rome. 
Catholics, Armenians, and others bury their unbaptized infants 
outside their cemeteries, saying, "They are damned." Surely 
no true believer in the doctrine of salvation by grace believes 
that these helpless, harmless, innocent, pure, lovely gifts so 
fresh from the hands of God are lost! — especially in the light 
of our Savior's declaration, "Of such is the kingdom of 
heaven." Then why baptize them before the Gospel time? 
Jesus is "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the 
world," including all the original Adamic sin, and children 
need no baptism until they become responsible creatures and 
yield to the call of God to repent of sins knowingly committed 
and to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 
! 

Baptism in History 

/ More than eighteen hundred years have passed since the 

apostles preached and baptized. Soon after their departure 



380 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

error sprang up and many have erred as to the design and 
mode of baptism. But God has always had faithful followers 
who perpetuated the holy designs and ceremonies instituted by 
Christ and observed by the apostles. The Bible reveals to us 
the will of God. History reveals to us the actions of men 
which may or may not be in accord with the Gospel. 

Early Literature. — There was little written on the 
subject of baptism immediately after the apostolic time, for it 
was well understood. For some time information could easily 
be acquired of aged Christians who had witnessed the apostolic 
ceremonies. The few early accounts of baptism show effusion 
as the mode. Eusebius, termed "the father of Church history," 
says (P. 96) that the apostle John, about 98 A. D., reclaimed a 
fallen disciple who wept with tears of penitence, "as if bap- 
tized a second time with his own tears." The flowing tears 
were like a baptism. The account of some baptisms in the 
second century were given not for the purpose of describing 
mode, but to give the circumstances under which they took 
place. In the "Magdeburg Centuries" the historian Nicephorus 
relates that in the second century a Jew in company with 
some Christians, traveling through a desert, was converted. 
He took sick and desired baptism. Having no water they 
sprinkled sand upon him in the name of the Trinity. His case 
was laid before the bishop of Alexandria, who decided the 
baptism valid, only he should be again "perfused with water." 
An instance is given of five martyrs of Samosata who sent for 
a minister to bring a vessel of water to baptize them. (Fair- 
child on Baptism, P. 106.) 

Irenaeus, A. D. 170, (Ad. Herr. Bk. 3, Ch. 17) uses the 
falling of the rain and "pouring of water on dry wheat flour" 
as types of water baptism. "Origen, the most learned man of 
his day, born only 85 years after the apostolic days, his father 
and grandfather Christians (of course, the latter contemporary 
with the apostles) comments on the transactions at Mt. Carmel 
(I Kings 18:31-38) when Elijah poured water on the altar, 
and describes it by (Gr.) 'baptidzo;' also certifying that John 



BAPTISM 381 

the Baptist did the same thing. So here is the most learned of 
all the fathers, his family contemporary with the apostles, 
himself a native Greek, using the New Testament Greek word 
to denote the pouring of water on the altar and transferring 
the case at once to John the Baptist pouring at the Jordan." 
(Dale's Judaic Baptism, 328.) Bishop Callistus (A. D. 222) 
.and St. Lawrence (A. D. 250) both baptized by effusion on 
the occasions of their own martyrdom. (Martyrology of Ado. 
Ch. 34.— Godbey.) 

In the third century, Laurentius, a Roman deacon, was 
brought to the stake to suffer martyrdom, when one of the 
soldiers was so impressed that he professed conversion and 
desired to be baptized on the spot. A pitcher of water was 
brought and the soldier was baptized by the martyr at the 
place of execution. (Wall's History.) In A. D. 251 a teacher, 
Justin, rejoiced that such learned men as Virian, Marcellus, 
and Justin were willing to be Christians. "He began to 
instruct them and then had water brought and baptized them 
on confession of their faith." (Martyr's Mirror, P. 119.) 
In all ages the most faithful Christians, many of whom laid 
down their lives for their faith, followed the example of Jesus 
.and baptized by effusion. 

Innovations. — The first definite record we find of dip- 
ping* for baptism is given by Tertullian in the beginning of the 
third century. He says, "Dehinc ter mergituamur amplius 
aliquid respondentes quam Dominus in evangelio determinavit" 
(We are dipped three times which answers more than the Lord 
has laid down in the Gospel). (Martyrs' Mirror, P. 115.) 
It seems strange that a bishop should so soon after the apostles 
practice a ceremony which he knew was not according to the 
Scriptures. This same man who gives us the first immersion 



'*The writer has never been able to find a reference by any author 
to an instance or account of immersion for Christian baptism 
before the time of Tertullian. Some have supposed that immer- 
sion was practiced earlier, but none of the earlier Greek and 
Latin writers appear to have given us any description or even 
mention of it. 



382 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

ever heard of for Christian baptism, and says that it is more 
than the Gospel requires, also sanctions baptism by effusion. 

By the middle of the fourth century we find some traces 
of single immersion. Eunomius is thought to have originated 
it about A. D. 360. Sozoman, in the latter part of this century, 
wrote, "Some say that he (Eunomius) was the first who dared 
to bring forward the notion, that the divine baptism ought to- 
be administered by a single immersion." 

Tertullian, like others, sought to improve upon the Bible,. 
not only in mode of baptism, but in adding superstitious rites. 
There was a growing tendency to magnify form and lose sight 
of the Spirit. Anointing with oil soon followed, then exorcism, 
or "driving away the devil," breathing upon the candidate,, 
anointing the eyes with clay, opening the ears with the word 
"Ephphatha," giving the newly-born milk and honey as suitable 
food for babes, salt on the tongue, the sign of the cross, clothed 
in white garments for eight days and provided with lighted' 
torches. (Coleman Anc. Christ., pp. 367-373.) 

Infant baptism came in very early and for more than a. 
thousand years the church that Tertullian represented baptized 
infants and adults nude and advocated a new birth through 
water baptism. Although Tertullian went from one error to 
another and finally joined the heretical Montanists, "his earlier 
writings continued to be extensively read." The Catholic 
Church continued to practice trine immersion principally for 
many centuries. The Greek Catholic Church still continues the 
practice but, like the Roman Catholics, performs some baptism 
by pouring. 

Infant baptism and the idea of baptismal regeneration were 
developed together in the third century and perhaps the latter 
part of the second century by the church that aftewards 
degenerated into the Catholic Church. Some of these super- 
stitions are still found in the Catholic and some Protestant 
churches. As to the mode of baptism, the Catholic churches 
have always tolerated effusion. We have no record of any sect 
of professed Christians who would never, under any circum- 



BAPTISM 383 

stances, baptize by pouring, until since the seventeenth century. 
Baptism by pouring has been administered by faithful, per- 
secuted Christians in all generations since Christ. Multiplied 
-thousands of Mennonites, Anabaptists, Albigenses, Waldenses, 
and others of like faith but called by various other names, on 
back "to the time of Sylvester and even to the time of the 
apostles," who have been baptized with water have laid down 
their lives for their faith in Christ. Only a few hundred years 
ago great numbers of our Mennonite brethren and sisters were 
dying as martyrs for their faith at the hands of those who 
professed to be Christians but had degenerated to empty forms 
of worship. 

Views of Menno Simon — Menno Simon had the Bible 
view. He wrote extensively in favor of baptism on confession 
of faith and against infant baptism. The manner of the 
ceremony received but little discussion at that age of the world. 
He rightly dwelt upon inward graces rather than outward 
forms. That he did not believe immersion to be the Bible 
mode is evident from this expression: "Therefore the infant 
baptizers must acknowledge and confess that they bury children 
-alive, which should not be." (Bk. 2, P. 214.) Professor 
Howard Osgood of Rochester Theological Seminary (Baptist) 
says that he found only two passages in all Menno's writings 
which' seem to indicate the mode of baptism he practiced. 
These he translated from the Dutch edition of 1681 (pp. 22 
and 88) as follows : "I think that these and similar commands 
are more painful and difficult to perverse flesh, which is 
naturally so prone to follow its own way, than to receive a 
handful of water." "How any one who is so unbelieving and 
rebellious that he refuses God a handful of water can conform 
himself to love his enemies .... I will leave the serious reader 
to reflect upon in the fear of God." (See Menno Simon, Part 
1, pp. 38 and 124.) He was opposed to a change in mode. 
On page 30, Part 1, edition of 1871, "In the third place, we 
.are informed by historians ancient and modern and also in the 



384 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

decrees, that baptism was changed both as to its mode and time 
of administering." 

Some have misrepresented Menno Simons by mistranslat- 
ing an extract from his writings: "Hoe neerstelijk wy ook 
sochen des nachts ende daegs, soo hevinden wy noch tains niet 
meer dan een doopsel in dem water dat Godt aengenaem is 
uytgedrucht ende begreben in Godts woordt, namelijck, dit 
doopsel op den geloove .... Maer dit andere Doopsel, namelijk 
der onmondiger kindern, en vinden wy immers niet." This- 
has been mistranslated to read: "After we have searched ever 
so diligently, we shall find no other baptism besides dipping 
in water which is acceptable to God and maintained by His 
Word." 

This glaringly false translation by Morgan Edwards and 
others has gained a wide circulation among English readers of 
our land. It is only one among many perversions made to- 
prop up unscriptural theories. Henry S. Burrage, himself a 
Baptist writer, says that Morgan Edwards and others have- 
incorrectly rendered the passage. He renders it as follows 
(which is according to Works of Menno Simon — Part II, P. 
204) : "However diligently we seek, night and day, yet we 
find no more than one baptism in water that is pleasing to God' 
expressed and contained in God's Word — namely this baptism 
on faith." 

The history of the mode and design of water baptism has 
been written largely by those who advocate immersion as 
essential to salvation. The most faithful disciples of Christ 
have ever laid more stress upon faith, the Holy Spirit, and the 
blood of Christ than upon form. Immersion for Christian 
baptism would likely have no ancient history had not Tertullian 
and others invented it a few centuries after Christ. Now it is 
an easy matter to write a history of immersion, because for 
centuries it was practiced by the Roman Catholics and is still 
practiced by the Greek Catholics. Scholarly immersionists are 
always great historians — but they have never been able positive- 
ly to establish a single instance of immersion earlier than 



38:5 

Tertullian, who acknowledged that it is adding to the Gospel. 

Ancient Sculpture and Frescoes.— The most ancient 
sculpture yields testimony in harmony with the Gospel. A 
movable marble baptismal font, too small for even infant 
immersion, taken from the catacombs, may be seen in a vault 
under the Church of St. Prisca, Rome. It is said to have 
been used for baptismal purposes by the apostle Peter. It 
bears the inscription, SCI. PET. BAPTISMV. The marble 
font speaks for itself ; and if it was not used by Peter we are 
confident that it was used very early, for the catacombs of 
Rome were made, filled, and furnished the first four centuries 
of the Chistian era beginning the latter part of the first century. 
In the catacombs are other fonts hewn out of the rocks, large 
enough only for baptism by effusion. 

The oldest known picture of baptism in the world, made in 
the Roman catacombs early in the second century, represents 
John baptizing Jesus with water. One writer says of it: 
"Here is represented the baptism in Jordan, the first historical 
monument of this subject after the Gospel account as well as 
its first representation in art .... This part of the catacomb of 
St. Callistus can be dated to the first century A. D., a date 
borne out by the archaic form of the sepulchres, the classical 
style of the paintings, and the epitaphs which present the 
characters of the first half of the second century and perhaps 
even the first." John stands on the bank of the Jordan and 
Jesus in the edge of the water. Baptism by dipping water on 
the head with one hand seems just completed and John is 
bending slightly forward with his hand at the elbow of Christ 
to help Him "come up straightway out of the water." The 
Holy Ghost in the form of a dove is descending upon Him. 
This picture was made by the early Christians, shortly after 
the death of the apostle John. 

Second, in a very ancient part of the catacomb of St. 
Lucina there is another picture of the baptism of Christ. 
This picture is attributed to the second century. John stands 
on shore, Jesus in water, the Holy Spirit descends as a dove. 



386 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Third, on the ancient stone coffin of Junius Bassus, 
Christ's baptism is represented as being performed by effusion. 

Fourth, in the catacomb of St. Callistus is a picture made 
about two hundred years after Christ representing the baptism 
of a youth. The minister stands beside the water, the applicant 
slightly in it. A handful of water has just been put on the 
head of the applicant and small streams of water are plainly 
seen falling from the head. 

Fifth, there is a similar picture in the catacomb of St. 
Praetextatus. 

Sixth, in the catacomb of Pontianus is a representation of 
the baptism of Jesus. He is standing in the edge of the water 
while John is on the bank with his right hand on the Savior's 
head as if applying the water. The Holy Spirit is descending 
as a dove. 

Seventh, in Cosmedin, Italy, in a church built in A. D. 
401, in mosaics made with the building of the church, is our 
Lord's baptism again represented. John is standing beside the 
water, Jesus in it, and water is being poured from a shell upon 
the Savior's head. 

Eighth, a similar representation is in the mosaic center- 
piece in the great dome of the Baptistery at Ravenna, Italy, 
which building was erected A. D. 454. John is pouring water 
on the head of Jesus with a shell. 

Every picture of the Lord's baptism known to the world 
for sixteen centuries represents Him standing in the water and 
John standing on the bank pouring water on His head. Nothing 
could show more plainly than these lasting works of art how 
baptism was administered. Such pictures can not be mistrans- 
lated. Many others might be given, but if these are not 
sufficient, more would not suffice. History, sculpture, por- 
traiture, natural laws, Jewish ceremonies, prophecy, and apos- 
tolic practice all combine to show us clearly that baptism by 
effusion is from God and is the only baptism in harmony with 
world-wide salvation. 

There is no picture of baptism known to the world, as 



BAPTISM 387 

much as four hundred years old that represents immersion. 
For about sixteen hundred years, whenever they went to make 
a picture, conscience and tradition seemed to say, "Make it by 
effusion." In fact, there were no classes of professed Chris- 
tians in the world that depended so much on water that they 
refused baptism by effusion to the sick and the dying until the 
strict immersionist sects of the present sprang up in the last 
few centuries. It seems strange that the Nestorians, Armen- 
ians, Catholics, with all their idolatrous and superstitious cere- 
monies, should now in these modern time* be outdone in this 
particular. Tertullian, Cyprian, and other practitioners of trine 
immersion also acknowledged the validity of baptism by effu- 
sion. Even the Greeks, Armenians, and Nestorians, who have 
held the longest to the trine immersion theory of Tertullian, 
are seen today by missionaries and travelers to set their 
children up in fonts of warm water and dip the water for 
baptism on the head with the hands. 

Abuses. — Water has been one of the chief idols of the 
heathen of all ages. In many parts of the world they now 
frequently dip themselves in rivers and reservoirs to wash 
their sins away. The influence of paganism on a large part of 
the professed church may be seen in god-fathers, breathing 
upon, candles, sprinkling with salt water, spitting upon and 
driving the evil spirits away, immersing bells, infants and 
adults, counting beads, worshiping images, etc., etc. "The 
heathen in all ages have practiced immersion in water to wash 
away their sins. As a normal consequence when the pagan 
millions poured into the Church they brought immersion with 
them, which never had been practiced among Jews and Chris- 
tians for baptism, but the simple effusion which rings through- 
out both Testaments, while the word immersion is a total 
stranger to Bible phraseology." (Godbey, P. 95.) 

Concluding Thoughts 

The laws of health, of nature, and of salvation are all 
given by the same Lawgiver and they are and must be in 



388 BTBLE DOCTRINE 

harmony. The full Gospel is for all the world and may be 
kept by every soul from pole to pole. There are many, sick 
and dying, in deserts and elsewhere, that can not be immersed: 
but they can all be baptized with zvater wherever there is 
enough water for man to live. Many, very many, have been 
thus baptized when it would have been impossible to immerse 
them. Some have died in the act of immersion (the writer 
knows of instances) ; others who had been taught that immer- 
sion is right changed their minds when they found' that im- 
possible and were baptized by effusion; while many others 
have died, longing for that which could not be endured. We 
thank God that He has given us a ceremony suitable for every 
penitent soul, in every condition and position in life. He who 
made the world and spreads the human race over it and wishes 
that all may be saved has commanded ceremonies that are 
convenient and harmless. Baptize with the ( significant, clean 
water, as the Jews performed their purifications or baptisms, 
and no penitent soul will be barred from the privilege of 
baptism. God's modes and plans always work. 

Reader, have you been baptized? baptized into His death 
by crucifixion? into His life by resurrection? into the visible 
Church by water baptism? All who on the cross of self-denial 
die to the world, receive the inward baptism of sprinkling by 
the blood of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit of God, 
and unite in fellowship with God's people, are on their way to 
glory. The baptism of fire comes with the baptism of the Holy 
Ghost. It is never mentioned except in connection with Holy 
Ghost baptism. It fills the soul with the fiery love of God 
which burns up the dross of our lives, and gives us a love for 
every human soul, a burning zeal for the extension of the 
Kingdom. Every baptism is for God's people only — that of 
suffering to destroy the old nature, the blood of Jesus to 
cleanse the heart, the Holy Ghost and fire to guide and to fire 
us up to witness everywhere for Christ, and that with water 
(the only outward baptism) as a symbol of the inward works 
of God, admitting to full fellowship in the visible Church. 



CHAPTER II 
THE COMMUNION 

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink 
this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he 
come. — I Cor. 11:26. 

Meaning and Use 

Instituted by our Savior. — The communion is an ordin- 
ance or ceremony by which we celebrate or commemorate the 
suffering and death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. On 
the night of His betrayal "He took bread, and gave thanks, 
and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body 
which is given for you : this do in remembrance of me. Like- 
wise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new 
testament in my blood, which is shed for you" (Luke 22:19, 
20). Thus, before His departure, He instituted a solemn 
memorial by which His life, and work, and sacrifice, and death 
are to be remembered in all generations. 

A Common Union — It signifies a common union. 
There is but one place in the New Testament where this 
ordinance is called "communion." Paul says (I Cor. 10:16), 
"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion 
of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not 
the communion of the body of Christ?" We notice, in reading 
the Acts of the Apostles, that this. service is more frequently 
called "the breaking of bread." Thus the three thousand who 
were converted on the day of Pentecost" continued steadfastly 
in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of 
bread" (Acts 2:42). The word "fellowship" is here used in 
connection with the breaking of bread, which is the equivalent 
of communion. See I Jno. 1 :7. In Acts 20 :7 we read, "Upon 
the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to 
break bread," etc. When we speak of the communion we 



390 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

necessarily speak of the fellowship, the "comm (on) union" of 
believers. 

A Memorial. — "This do in remembrance of me," is the 
language of Christ telling what the communion is for. As the 
Jewish passover (which is a type of the communion) was 
instituted that the children of Israel might not forget their 
deliverance from the bondage in Egypt, so is the communion 
a perpetual reminder that the body of Christ was broken for 
our sakes and His precious blood was shed for the remission 
of our sins. 

That the Jewish passover was an important service is 
evident from the fact that they were commanded to observe it 
from year to year and to teach it faithfully to their children. 
When the children inquired, "What mean ye by this service?" 
the parents were to answer, "It is the sacrifice of the Lord's 
passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel 
in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our 
houses" (Ex. 12:27). In Ex. 13:8-10 they are still more 
emphatically charged concerning this ordinance as follows : 
"And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is 
done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I 
came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto thee 
upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that 
the Lord's law may be in thy mouth : for with a strong hand 
hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt. Thou shalt therefore 
keep this ordinance in his season from year to year." 

What the passover was to the Jews, the communion is to 
us. As the lamb was slain in Egypt, so "Christ our passover 
is sacrificed for us." As ■ the Israelites were to teach these 
things diligently to their children, so should we also teach 
the communion and what it signifies to our children. As it 
was needful for the children to have a visible reminder, a 
memorial, of their deliverance in Egypt, so is it necessary for 
us to have a visible reminder, a memorial, to remind us of our 
great deliverance from the bondage of sin. Hence our Savior's 
admonition, "This do in remembrance of me." This means 
that while we are engaged in this solemn service we should 






THE COMMUNION 391 

draw in the wanderings of our minds, away from carnal things, 
and have our thoughts centered upon Calvary, remembering 
how that "Christ died for the ungodly," how He suffered, "the 
just for the unjust," how He gave Himself that He might* 
redeem us to Himself, "a peculiar people, zealous of good 
works." We should remember Gethsemane, when His suffer- 
ings for our sakes was so great that "his sweat was as it were 
great drops of blood falling down to the ground;" the court- 
room, where shameful and brutal treatment was meted out to 
Him under the name of "trials;" Calvary, where He died the 
vicarious death, pouring forth the crimson flood which made 
salvation possible. 

A Testimony. — Not only is the communion a reminder 
to ourselves that Jesus died to save us, but it is a testimony to 
others that we have accepted Him as such, have entered into 
sympathy with His sufferings and are ourselves living con- 
secrated, self-sacrificing lives. Paul testifies, "As often as ye 
eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew (R. V., 
"proclaim") the Lord's death till he come." The German 
version says, "So oft ihr von diesem brodt esset .... solt ihr 
des herrn tod verkuendigen" — which means, "ye shall proclaim, 
promulgate, announce, publish His death." This means more 
than a mere eating of the bread and drinking of the fruit of 
the vine, and for this reason the facts connected with the 
crucifixion of Jesus, and what this means for us, should be 
clearly presented on communion occasions. 

A two-fold Meaning. — The communion has a two-fold 
meaning. By partaking of the symbols of the broken body 
and shed blood of Jesus we not only remember His sacrifice, 
but also express a common union of communicants. It revives 
memories of Christ's suffering and of Christian duty, at the 
same time the communicants "do shew" to others, are living 
witnesses of the past suffering of Christ and of His coming 
again in glory. The bread signifies (1) Christ's body which 
was broken for us, and (2) Christ's body of believers which 
the apostle declares are "one body and one bread." 

A Command. — In simple yet emphatic words did Christ 



392 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

command His followers to observe the communion. "Take, 
eat," "this do," admits of no other construction than that the 
communion service should be practiced by all believers. No 
one can afford to disobey. To do so means not only to be 
deprived of a very blessed privilege, but there is the penalty of 
disobedience for all who are indifferent about keeping this 
commandment. The law was very strict concerning the eating 
of the passover. Even the man who was ceremonially clean 
and qualified to keep the passover, but who neglected to do so, 
was to be cut off from the congregation of Israel. Num. 9:13. 
Disobedience under the Gospel merits even greater and surer 
punishment than disobedience under law. See Heb. 10:28, 29 
and Heb. 12 :25. Indifference in the observance of so im- 
portant a command is such a sure sign that all is not right 
with God that a number of our churches have adopted 
resolutions to the effect that if any member absents himself 
from communion three successive times (except for just 
reasons) he should be considered under church censure. 

Appropriate Symbols. — No more appropriate symbols 
than the bread and the cup could have been selected for the 
communion. First, let us notice the bread. We think of "first 
the blade, then the corn, then the full corn in the ear." Then 
we think of the separation of grains from the straw and chaff, 
the removing, so far as possible, the damaged grains, the 
grinding together of grains into flour, the kneading into dough 
and the baking into bread. What a beautiful and impressive 
type of the true Christian Church. Therein is typified the 
birth, the growth, the purity, and the unity of individual 
members, completely brought together in Christ, separated from 
the evil without and within, consolidated into the "one body 
and one bread" of which Paul speaks. Well did Christ take 
the bread, so typical of His body of believers, so typical of 
His own body of flesh and blood, and say "This is my body" 
— well did He take the cup, so typical of His cup of suffering, 
so typical of the blood which purifies, and say, "This is my 
blood." These types become all the more real when we 
remember His words, "Except ye eat of the flesh of the Son 



THE COMMUNION 393 

of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso 
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; 
and I will raise him up at the last day." 

Some Theories Examined 

Transubstantiation. — This is defined as the supposed 
conversion of the bread and wine into the body and blood of 
Christ." The Catholic believes that when he takes that little 
wafer at communion he is actually eating the body of Christ. 
(There is a little discrepancy here, as the priest drinks the 
wine for the whole congregation, and thus according to that 
theory only the priest would feast on the blood of Christ.) 
The doctrine is based on the declaration of Christ who said of 
the bread which He gave to His disciples, "This is my body" 
and of the cup, "This is my blood." 

It does not take a great amount of wisdom to see the 
fallacy of this theory. At the time that Christ spoke these 
words His body was in plain sight of His disciples ; so they 
could not have been deceived but clearly understood that Christ 
here used a figure of speech. A similar expression is found 
in Dan. 2 :38. Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream in 
which he saw the image of a great man with head of gold, 
breast and arms of silver, etc., representing four great king- 
doms. The first of these was Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, 
therefore Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar, "Thou art this head 
of gold." This was literally true, yet not in the physical sense 
that the king of flesh and blood whom Daniel was addressing 
was the pure gold seen in the image. So in the communion 
the bread is the body of Christ and the cup the blood of 
Christ, not physically, but wholly in the typical sense. The 
doctrine of transubstantiation is erroneous, for two reasons: 
(1) It is physically contrary to facts. (2) If it were true, 
then every communicant, no matter how hypocritical anc 1 i 
unregenerate, would be eating the flesh and drinking the blood 
of Christ, which according to Christ's own words would mean 
eternal life. This would mean winning salvation through some 
other way besides the atonement and do violence to the 



394 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

scripture : "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." 
There is no virtue in either the bread and the wine, as ele- 
ments, but as types of the flesh and blood of the Son of man 
they are very important. 

Consubstantiation. — The difference between tlhis theory 
and that which we have just noticed is this: Transubstantiation 
is the theory that when the little wafer is consecrated by the 
priest it actually becomes the flesh of Christ, while consubstan- 
tiation denies this but holds that "after the consecration of the 
elements the body and blood of Christ are substantially present 
with the substance of the bread and wine." The second theory 
is a modified form of the first, and is subject to the same 
objections. While we believe that Christ is present with His 
believers in communion as well as in all other religious services, 
the idea that the body and blood are substantially present with 
the substance of the bread and the wine can not be supported 
by Scripture. So far as the physical qualities of the bread and 
the wine are concerned, they are wholly typical. So far as 
Christ figuring in the communion is concerned, it is wholly 
spiritual. 

Close Communion. — Who should be admitted to the 
communion? Some say, "Those of 'like precious faith;' who 
can fellowship one another in the same organization and 
submit to the same rules and regulations of the body of which 
they are members." Others say, "All who acknowledge them- 
selves the children of God and desire to partake, regardless of 
their personal professions or of what may be their denomina- 
tional name." The first answer defends the doctrine known a c 
"close communion," while the second gives voice to what is 
known as "open communion." It may be well to state that 
both these terms are misnomers, for the first extends the 
privilege of communing to all who meet the Bible conditions 
while there is no church which does not draw the line on some 
who are avowedly and notoriously bad. But we accept the 
terms as commonly understood, and shall endeavor to examine 
them in the light of Scripture. 

When Paul says, "We being many are one bread and one 



THE COMMUNION 395 

body," he teaches us that we must have regulations with 
reference to the communion, and exclude such whose lives are 
inconsistent, just as damaged grains which would defile the 
bread are not allowed to be ground with the good wheat. In 
this he certainly holds out the idea of a common union of 
communicants. How can there be a common union when some 
of the communicants openly practice what others condemn, 
or openly condemn what others affirm to be the plain com- 
mandments? Another thing: When Paul says, "I would not 
that ye should have fellowship with devils," he again emphasiz- 
es the necessity of keeping out of the communion those who 
are of impure life or disobedient to God. This can not be 
done without acknowledging the jurisdiction of the Church 
over such matters. This will of necessity confine the commun- 
ion to those who acknowledge and submit to the jurisdiction 
of the Church. Members of other churches are not considered 
— not on ground of unworthiness, especially, but on the ground 
that they are not subject to the jurisdiction of the church 
trying to keep house according to God's Word, and therefore 
are without the pale of the discipline by that Church. To admit 
them to communion under such circumstances would make an 
orderly communion impossible. 

To ascertain the standing of the proposed communicants, 
it is the custom of churches holding to the doctrine of close 
communion to hold council or examination meetings previous 
to communion. Visiting, if properly done, is a great help in 
preparing the church for communion, and in places this has 
taken the place of the council meeting. It is simply a question 
of method, the end being to get the church in the best possible 
shape for communion and for effective Christian service. 
Sometimes there are cases of difficulty which no method can 
reach satisfactorily. Paul testifies to this fact in I Tim. 5 :24, 
where he says, "Some men's sins are open beforehand, going 1 
before to judgment; and some men they follow after." When 
a man's sin is open the Church can take action accordingly but 
when the sin is hidden and he denies it, and there are no 
witnesses to prove his guilt, we discipline him ; for we cannot 



396 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

see into a man's heart. But his sin will follow after him to 
judgment, and no sin can be hidden there. For illustration: 
A declares that B has committed a gross sin, for which he 
would be expelled if it could be proven. But B flatly denies 
it. There being no witnesses to prove the case against him, B 
could not be expelled, his sin not being open. The responsi- 
bility of the Church ends, even though B is guilty. But his 
sin will follow him to judgment, and every time he partakes of 
the communion he eats and drinks condemnation to himself. 

Open Communion. — Those favoring this theory accuse 
the advocates of close communion of being "selfish/'' In 
response to this it might be well to notice that about the only 
difference between open communionists and close communion- 
ists is the different places where the line is drawn, one being 
more liberal than the other. In one sense the principle is the 
same, in an other sense it is different — the same in the sense 
that certain classes should be excluded, different in that open 
communionists deny that communicants commune with one 
another in the communion service, which close communionists 
affirm. 

The idea of open communion is objectionable from several 
standpoints : 

1. It discards the idea of fellowship among communi- 
cants. "I commune with God, not with man," says the open 
communionist. If that is the case, then why not admit 
polygamists, avowed gamblers, murderers, whoremongers, and 
all other evil classes to the communion? Discard the fellow- 
ship idea, and there is not much left of the communion worth 
having. 

2. It admits to "the table of the Lord" those zvho are 
not tolerated as members of the Church. "The communion 
table is the "Lord's table ;" they say, "not a Mennonite table, 
a Baptist table, a Presbyterian table, a Campbellite table, or 
the table of any other church." Grant it. Shall we be less 
particular with the table of the Lord than with the table of our 
denomination? The Mennonites say, "Unless you are willing 
to forsake the world with its sinful lusts and follies ; unless 



THE COMMUNION 397 

you will promise to obey all the Lord's commandments, 
including the washing of the saints' feet, abstinence from 
swearing oaths, carnal strife, etc., we can not receive you.' r 
Baptists say, "Unless you allow yourself to be immersed, we 
can not receive you." Other churches have other conditions of 
membership. But when it comes to the communion, to the 
Lord's table, all these restrictions are removed. Members may 
be excommunicated for open transgression, unite with some 
other church, and still be admitted to the communion of the 
church from which they were expelled. Only a wide open 
church, without any restrictions whatever, can consistently 
advocate open communion. 

3. It is in strange contrast zuith the Bible standard of 
unity. On the one hand we look at a communion service where 
the membership, in faith and practice, presents the appearance 
of "one bread and one body;" a "common union" at the table 
of the Lord, one, even one as the Father and the Son are one ; 
who have "all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the 
knowledge of the Son of God." On the other hand we look 
at a communion table where all who feel themselves worthy 
are invited. Feeling worthy, there come Catholics, Mormons, 
Universalists, dancers, theater-goers, Masons, Russellites, etc., 
etc. Which appeals to you as being nearest the Bible pattern ? 

4. It is in opposition to the instruction, "I would not 
that ye should have fellowship with devils/' Let this point be 
understood. It is no attempt to justify one church as being 
right and classifying all the rest as "devils," but it is a fearful 
comment upon churches that throw the gates wide open and 
make little or no efforts to ascertain the standing of proposed 
communicants before admitting them to the table of the Lord: 
''Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of 
Christ, hath not God .... If there come any unto you, and 
bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither 
bid him God speed" (II Jno. 9, 10). Can we commune 
consistently with such people, according to the Scripture? 

The only consistent invitation which, in our humble 
opinion, can be given to commune at the table of the Lord is 



398 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

something like this: If there are any members here from a 
distance who are one with us in faith and practice and who are 
in good standing and at peace in their home congregations, 
they are invited to commune with us. 

The Full Meal — 'Since Christ ate a full meal with His 
disciples at the time He instituted the communion, there ar& 
some who contend that the custom of eating a full meal at the 
time of the communion should still be kept up. They also 
claim that this was not the real Jewish passover instituted in 
Egypt; that the meal which Christ ate with His disciples was a 
day earlier than the time of the Passover, that there were other 
irregularities, such as dipping the sop, etc. 

We should not hesitate to declare ourselves emphatically 
in favor of everything the Bible teaches. If it is the teaching 
of our Lord that a full meal should be eaten at the time of 
the communion, that is the proper thing, the only proper thing 
to do. Let us turn on the light, and see what God says about it. 

1. Both Christ and the apostles call this full meal ''the 
passover!' Matthew (26:17-29), Mark (14:12-25), and Luke 
(22:7-30) all tell us that they called it the passover, and by 
two or three witnesses shall all things be established. Read 
the narratives, and be convinced. Neither is there the least 
intimation given anywhere by Christ and His disciples that 
this was a new passover that was being instituted. These 
witnesses being clear and authoritative, it is dangerous to 
assume that they meant something they did not say. 

2. It was held at the regular time for the Jewish pass- 
over. The texts quoted above make that point clear. Christ 
being under the law (Gal. 4:4) it became Him to obey it and 
to eat the passover. He was also the end of the law (Rom 
10:4) and fulfilled it. We, being therefore not under the law 
but under the Gospel, should no more keep the passover than 
to observe circumcision. 

We have here the testimony of three witnesses, Matthew, 
Mark, Luke, that this was the identical passover feast which 
the Jews had kept for generations. Christ said, "With desire 
I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer." 



THE COMMUNION 399 

What about Jno. 18:28? "Then led they Jesus from 
Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early: and 
they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they 
should be defiled ; but that they might eat the passover." 
Num. 28:19-24 and II Chron. 30:22 tell of seven days' feast 
during which the unleavened bread and meat of sacrifice was 
to be eaten daily. This seven days' feast of unleavened bread, 
as well as the paschal lamb, is called "the passover." Read 
Luke 22:1: "Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, 
which is called the passover." In the German language this 
feast is known as "Oster," while the paschal lamb is called 
"Osterlamm." Read this verse in the German translation, and 
you will find that this passover was the feast of "Oster" (seven 
days' feast of unleavened bread) not the sacrifice "Osterlamm 1 ' 
(the paschal lamb). It is plain, therefore, that it was the 
remaining six days of the feast of unleavened bread, not the 
eating of the paschal lamb, that the Jews had in mind when 
they took precautions not to defile themselves. . There is 
nothing in Scripture against the testimony of Christ and the 
apostles that this was the passover, and nothing in Scripture to 
discredit the idea that it was observed at the regular time. 

3. There was nothing about this full meal which con- 
tradicted the laws for observing the Jewish passover. Some 
say that the law provided that the lamb should not at all be 
"sodden with water," while Jesus "dipped the sop." But 
where is the law or Bible testimony which stands in the way of 
the belief that this sop referred to in Jno. 13:26 correspond to 
the "bitter herbs" of Ex. 12:8? Some claim that the fact 
that Christ passed the cup at the feast and therefore could not 
have been the passover. Why not? Where is the law against 
it? All these objections to calling that full meal the Jewish 
passover are but circumstantial, while the testimony of Christ 
and the apostles to the effect that it was this identical ' feast 
stands unrefuted. 

4. The full meal at the time of the communion has no 
apostolic sanction. On the other hand, the testimony of Paul 
is against it. Read I Cor. 11:17 to the end of the chapter. 



400 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

He first corrects them because of their irregularities, then tells 
them what he had "received of the Lord" — the bread and the 
cup — then passes on, not mentioning a thing about having 
received the full meal of the Lord, but ends with saying, ''If 
any man hunger, let him eat at home." Some say that Paul 
referred to this special feast when he said, "I must by all 
means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem" (Acts 18:21), 
but in Acts 20:16 Luke refers to the same feast again, saying, 
''He hasted if it were possible for him to be at Jerusalem on 
the day of Pentecost." In I Cor. 16:8 Paul refers to the same 
feast, saying, "But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost." 
In this, as in all other questions, the testimony of the epistles 
agrees with the testimony of the gospels. 

Other Things Connected with the Communion 

Qualifications of Members or Worthy Guests. — Who 

are proper persons to take part in the communion? We have 
already considered the duty of the Church to see that the 
.membership be in the best possible condition for communion. 
If the Church has her duties along this line, each individual 
• member has a special duty in the examination of self. Hence 
the scriptural injunction, "Let a man examine himself, and 
so let him eat." This is important, because "Whosoever shall 
eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, 
shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord .... eateth 
and drinketh damnation to himself" (I Cor. 11:27, 29). The 
safest and best way for a man to examine himself is not to 
measure and compare himself with others (Paul says that 
"such are not wise") but by weighing himself in the balances 
of God's Word, comparing his walk, conduct, conversation, etc., 
\vith its precepts. When our life is in harmony with the 
Gospel we need not fear to commune. 

The law was very strict concerning the observance of the 
passover. In the first place all leaven had to be done away 
'on the first day of the seven days' feast. Leaven is a type of 
Mn ; and so a worthy guest at the Lord's table must be one 
whose sins arc blotted out, that he may "draw nigh to God 



THE COMMUNION 401 

with a full assurance of faith, having his heart sprinkled from 
an evil conscience, and his body washed with pure water." In 
the second place, no hired servant, stranger, or uncircumcised 
person was permitted to eat. In like manner should guests at 
the Lord's table be, not "strangers and foreigners, but fellow- 
citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." Again, 
every member in the congregation of Israel was required to 
keep the passover (Ex. 12:47) or be cut off from his people 
(Num. 9:13). From this we may learn a practical lesson. We 
often meet with people who refuse to commune because they 
see inconsistency in the lives of others. Very often the fault 
lies largely with themselves. To such we would say, Get right 
with God at once. The death angel may come at any time and 
cut you off forever from the congregation of saints. On the 
other hand there are members who live lives that are spiritually 
cold and very inconsistent; but they commune, perhaps more 
to keep from being excommunicated than for any other reason. 
If this is not eating and drinking unworthily, it is certainly 
not the way to do. Our Savior says, "Except ye eat the flesr^ 
of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in 
you." We consider this ordinance to be of great importance, 
yet we must be careful not to lay too much stress upon a 
formal observance of it. There is no saving virtue in its form 
and substance, unless in our daily life "we eat the flesh and 
drink the blood" of our Lord and Savior. 

Frequency in its Observance. — The Jewish passover was 
observed once a year, in accordance with the command of the 
Lord. But there is no commandment given telling us how 
often the ordinance of the communion should be observed. 
Christ did not say how often, neither did Paul. The Word 
simply says, "As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this 
cup, ye do shew," etc., which seems to imply that it should 
be kept often enough to keep the event of Christ's death fresh 
in mind. It does not say, however, that it should be observed 
every Sunday, as some churches practice. This custom is apt 
to drift into formalism ; that is, observing the form without 
entering into the spirit of the service. The custom in many 



402 BI-BLE DOCTRINE 

churches of observing the ordinance about twice a year is, in 
our humble opinion, about as scriptural and as serviceable as 
we can make it. 

Time of its Observance. — The time for holding the 
passover must have been of great importance, from the number 
of times this feature of the ceremony is -commanded to Israel. 
"Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at this 
appointed season .... In the fourteenth day of this month, at* 
even" (Num. 9:2, 3), is as specific as any commandment can 
be made. 

But there is no commandment as to the season of the year, 
the time of the month, or the time of the day the communion) 
shall be held. We take it, therefore, that in the eyes of God one 
time is as acceptable as another. But, say some, did not Christ 
and His disciples observe it in the evening? Yes; because it 
was at the time when they were eating the passover, which was 
always eaten in the evening, and was therefore the appropriate 
time to institute it. But afterwards, when the disciples kept 
this command in memory of the death of Christ (the time of 
their deliverance from sin), as the Jews kept the passover in 
memory of their deliverance in Egypt, it is written, "Upon the 
first day of the week, when the disciples came together to' 
break bread," etc. This raises a question. If the Jewish pass- 
over was held near the hour of their deliverance (near mid- 
night), why should it not be an appropriate hour for us to keep 
our feast held in memory of our deliverance at or near the 
hour of deliverance (near midday) ? If there is a difference 
as to time, it would be in favor of the noon hour. But in the 
absence of divine instructions on this point we should refrain 
from making law when there is no law. 

A Blessed Privilege. — We have referred to ; the commun- 
ion as "a command," and as such emphasized the duty of 
being obedient to it. But we wish especially to look upon its 
observance as a soul-satisfying privilege. To be walking in 
the fellowship of. our Lord and of His saints is the happy 
privilege of every child of God, and all who thus walk gladly 



THE COMMUNION 403 

avail themselves of taking part in the service which typifies 
this fellowship. "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, 
we shall have fellowship one with another," and a sinless life 
is a necessary result. 



CHAPTER III 
FEET WASHING 

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do 
them. — Jno. 13:17. 

Descriptive Notes 

The detailed account of our Savior washing His disciples' 
feet, as recorded in Jno. 13:1-17, is one of the sublimest 
illustrations of what His great mission to the world means to 
mankind. 

Painters and engravers of many centuries have used their 
best talents in the endeavor to represent the act in portraiture 
and sculpture, and yet the deeper meaning of the ordinance is 
as little understood by the masses of Christian believers today 
as it was in the night in which it was first instituted. Sad to 
admit, the blind protest of Peter — "Thou shalt never wash my 
feet" — prevails today among the professed followers of the 
lowly Jesus. 

One of the "All Things." — That the washing of the 
saints' feet is one of the "all things" commanded by our 
Savior in the great commission (Matt. 28:19, 20) can not be 
successfully contradicted. Critics on this point, however, are 
quick to ask, "If feet-washing is here included, why is there 
no record of its observance in the apostolic writings? Why is 
it not mentioned with the same frequency as communion and 
baptism?" In reply we will say that the reference to the 
washing of the saints' feet in I Tim. 5 :10 is conclusive 
evidence that the ordinance was in common practice in the 
days of the apostles. 

Historical. — Furthermore, it is inferred from the writ- 
ings of the Christian fathers, such as Irenaeus, Chrysostum,* 



♦Martyr's Mirror, P 156. 



FEET WASHING 405 

Cyprian, Augustine, etc , that feet washing was observed in 
their day as well as was baptism and communion. Ambrose,* 
who lived in the fourth century after Christ, describes feet 
washing as a solemn religious ceremony observed by all 
Christians in connection with the communion. Austin, of a 
later period, refers to it as an ordinance which should be done 
literally with hands and not with heart only — for what the 
Savior could do with hands no Christian should disdain to do. 
John Calvin, in his contention with the pope,t who annually 
washed the feet of some of his attendants at the Vatican in 
Rome claimed that the act should be mutual instead of 
individual. 

Jansenius, who flourished about 1620 A. D., bears record 
that Jesus Himself set the example which His followers are to 
follow after the manner of washing one another's feet. 

About the first half of the seventeenth century the 
sentiment was developed recognizing Christian service as valid 
without the outward or visible marks of obedience, claiming 
that the visible example given by our Savior and practiced by 
the disciples was not intended for people of the Occident to 
observe, but applied more especially to people of the dry, 
simoon districts of the Orient, where cleanliness is enjoined as 
an adjunct to godliness. The most strenuous adherents of this 
doctrine are the Quakers and kindred orders (moralists and 
free thinkers holding similar views on this question) who 
would expunge from the Christian economy every possible 
mark that points to duty and moral obligation to God's will. 

A Specific Command. — As the outward" ceremonials of 
sprinkling, pouring, washing — so long in practice by the Jews 
and other peoples in the Orient — were typical of purity, so 
under the Gospel it is only in complying literally with the 
ordinances of baptism and feet washing that there comes the 
answer of a good conscience toward God. These two 
ordinances in each case imply a specific command, not to be 



♦Matthew Henry on John 13. 
fEncyclopedia Brittanica. 



406 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

obeyed for the physical cleansing of the body, but to serve as 
the outward sign which prefigures the inward cleansing brought 
about by the blood of Christ. As a specific command, feet 
washing is given with greater emphasis than any of the New 
Testament ordinances. The old English word "ought" being 
here used with the same meaning as the word "owe," it implies 
both duty and obligation. In the light of these facts it seems 
impossible to construe the act of the Savior's washing His 
disciples' feet as one of hospitality — according to Oriental 
custom. If the act was done simply in accordance with custom, 
because the disciples' feet needed washing, then it would 
follow that the elementary water in baptism should be used in 
quantity sufficient to cleanse the body, and that the bread and 
the wine in communion should be used in sufficient quantity for 
physical nourishment. On the other hand, if spiritual significa- 
tion only is to be applied to feet washing, then why not observe 
baptism and communion spiritually only? or if it is to be 
entirely explained away as an Oriental custom, why observe it 
spiritually? 

Feet Washing as a Custom 

Travelers through eastern countries tell us that from the 
remotest periods of antiquity the Oriental has been accustomed 
to his daily bath and that with him "there is as much religion 
in his ablutions as in his devotions." The feet being the part 
of the body most exposed to the dust and stains of the earth, 
the first act of hospitality shown the visitor and traveler was 
to supply water for washing his feet. 

This in ordinary cases was done by a servant or slave 
pouring water on his feet, the rubbing, washing and wiping 
being also attended to by the slave where the visitor was a 
person of more than ordinary rank. Where his position was 
no more than that of an attendant or servant he performed the. 
service for himself. The washing of hands was performed in 
the same way. In this way it is said that "Elisha poured water 
on the hands of Elijah" (II Kings 3:11). 

When the an^el visitors came to Abraham as he sat in the 



FEET WASHING 407 

tent door to rest he entreated them first of all, '*Let a littltf 
water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet" (Gen. 
18:4). Lot, when meeting two angels at the gate of Sodom,. 

said, "Turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house 

and wash your feet" (Gen. 19:2). When Abraham's servant 
came into the house of Bethuel he received straw for his 
camels "and water to wash his feet" (Gen. 24:32). When 
David called Uriah to his house he gave him the order to 
"wash thy feet" (II Sam. 11:8). In administering the rebuke 
to Simon the Pharisee, to whose house our Savior had been 
invited as a guest, among other things Christ said, "I entered 
thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet" (Luke 
7:44). It will be noted that in every one of these instances 
the guests were to wash their own feet, as guests today wash 
their own hands and faces. 

From the foregoing scriptures it is clearly seen what 
customary feet washing in Oriental countries is like and that 
through the patriarchal period down to Christ's time there was 
but little if any variation in its practice. 

Feet Washing as an Ordinance 

Different from the Customary Feet Washing. — As al- 
ready noticed, customary feet washing was observed either by 
the guest himself or by some slave or servant of the household. 
The kind of feet washing instituted by our Savior is different 
from that in a number of particulars: 

1. It was not an act of hospitality, but a mark of 
obedience to an express command. 

2. It was for "saints" rather than for guests. I Tim. 5 :10. 

3. It is a sacred rite — the same as baptism or communion 
— each in its natural order; baptism applied to the body from 
overhead, communion to the hands and lips from without and 
feet washing to the feet beneath. 

4. As to time, it was observed after "supper being 
ended" The time for customary feet washing was previous 
to or at the time of entering the house. 



408 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

5. Feet washing as an ordinance is not for cleansing 
(Jno. 13:10, 11). 

6. That it was something new to the apostles is evident 
from the fact that Peter did not know what his Lord was 
doing (jno. 13:7). 

7. His methods of going about the washing of His 
disciples' feet was entirely different from that of servants, 
whose habits were scarcely ever changed. 

In Mark 7:3, 4 we are told that the Pharisees and all the 
Jews "except they wash their hands oft, eat not." Hence each 
house in which a sacred meal was eaten was provided with 
water pots of stone according to the purification of the Jews. 
Jno. 2 :6. It was from one of these water pots that Christ 
poured water into a basin. The customary act was to pour the 
water from a pitcher upon the feet and drained or collected 
therefrom into a basin. By our Savior's act the water was 
poured directly into a basin, and the disciples' feet, one after 1 
the other, washed therein by ablution. According to Chrysos- 
tum, He began first with Judas, then came to Peter, who at 
first refused. The kind yet firm statement of the consequences 
of such a refusal served not only to bring Peter to the point 
where he could humbly yield, but overawed the remaining ten 
to mute submission. 

After resuming His seat our Savior explained why He had 
instituted the ordinance of feet washing — had set them an 
example with the idea that they should follow it ; as He their 
Lord and Master had washed their feet, they His disciples 
should also wash one another's feet. In the instructions which 
followed, He no doubt made it plain to them that what He had 
just now instituted had a far deeper meaning than a mere act 
of hospitality. 

Purpose of its Literal Observance 

When observed after the manner of the primitive model 

the ordinance impresses the believer with the consciousness of 

the purifying effect that is being wrought upon the soul. 

Besides, in one disciple washing the feet of another, each 



FEET WASHING 409 

humbly and sincerely declares a willingness to bear with the 
other's shortcomings. As a type of the mutual submission) 
service, and the brotherly equality which should exist between 
all believers, there is nothing that can take the place of feet 
washing. 

This ordinance also shows in a most beautiful and sublime 
manner how Christians may be brought to the limit of filial 
obedience to the will of God without asking the reason why. 
Having heard our Savior's explanation we keep it — 

1. Because it is one of the "all things" commanded by 
our Savior. 

2. Because our Savior set the example that we should do 
as He has done to His disciples. 

3. Because there is a blessing in obeying it. 

But to obey in form without observing it in heart, means 
that the life within is only apparent. In such case an 
outward yielding to its observance implies only formal sub- 
mission — hence it is the whole-hearted submission that gives? 
emphasis and external force to the divine life within, in the 
literal act of feet washing. 

"A pattern He did kindly give, 

To His disciples, true, 
He washed their feet, then said to them, 

'Do as I've done to you/ 
Lord, as this solemn rite we keep, 

With joy we worship thee; 
May we with humble heart, O Lord, 

Thy faithful servants be." 

Helps to Maintain the Identity of the Church. — The 

purity of the Church is preserved in-so-far as perfect obedience 
is maintained on every point of faith and doctrine as taught by 
the Lord Jesus. A known duty, when left unperformed, 
deprives one of the blessing in proportion to the measure of 
disobedience. His words on this point are, "Ye are myr 
friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." Obedience is 
enjoined upon all believers, as individuals and as a church. 
By failing to obey in feet washing we refuse to allow Jesus to 
become our Lord and Master. In holding a "thus saith the 



410 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Lord," as though it did not mean just what it says leaves a 
body of believers in a condition similar to that of the Church 
at Ephesus which had left her first love, and as Sardis which 
had lost her identity in being alive and yet dead because her 
works were "not perfect before God" (Rev. 2:4; 3:2). 

The "all things" pertaining to the household of faith are 
not performed as a means for becoming just, holy and perfect 
as a church, but they are obeyed because the body has already 
become just, and holy, and perfect. 

Helps to Maintain Equality among Believers. — In many 
churches there is a distinction drawn between the rich and the 
poor. Either the poor are altogether excluded or the rich 
occupy the costly pews while the poor are shown to quarters 
more befitting their poverty. With the ordinance of feet 
washing there comes a privilege which. brings the man of high- 
est rank to a level with the humblest peasant, where each can 
join in an expression of obedience to God; where the poorest 
man and the richest man of a community can meet upon that 
common level where they share equally in the privileges of 
the Gospel; where the weakest and most unstable of the 
Lord's disciples can extend the hand of fellowship and the 
kiss of peace to him that is strong and stable enough to be 
esteemed a pillar in the Church. In fact, there arises that 
happy situation in which the learned and the ignorant, the 
faithful and the failing, the old and the young, the weak and 
the strong, are all brought upon the common plane of equality 
before Christ and with Christ. Were feet washing faithfully 
observed as an ordinance in all Christian denominations, many 
of the undesirable lines of separation between them would not/ 
be so sharply drawn, and the rigid boundaries named by 
society, caste, and conventional rank would rapidly disappear. 

Signifies having Part with Christ. — Wilful disobedience 
to any of the Lord's commands separates us from all the 
interests we may have in the plan of salvation. "If a man 
love me, he will keep my words." "If ye keep my command- 
ments, ye shall abide in my love." Peter was told kindly, "If 
I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." To have a part 



FEET WASHING 411 

with Christ means not only to enjoy His fellowship and His 
love in time, but also the inheritance of a mansion in heaven. 
If the destiny of man, for time and eternity, depends so 
iargely upon obedience to Him in all things, how important it 
is for every believer to live and to teach the whole Gospel, for 
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in 
one point, he is guilty of all." In the light of such scripture, 
no man can afford to omit the observance of an ordinance 
which is so plainly taught as is feet washing. Yea, verily, 
"to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it 
is sin." 

A Distinguishing Mark of a Worthy Widow 

That the washing of the saints' feet was of recognize^ 
importance in apostolic times is evident from Paul's instruc- 
tions to Timothy as recorded in I Tim. 5 :10. Among the 
things which were essential to be counted "a widow indeed" , 
was the following: "IF SHE HAVE WASHED THE 
SAINTS' FEET." It was not "the stranger's feet," not "the 
guests' feet," not "the needy's feet," but "the saints' feet," 
showing that it was a church affair, not a -mere act of service 
or hospitality. Since washing the saints' feet comes after the; 
stranger has entered his lodging place, it is far more in 
harmony with the prescribed order of service here enumerated 
to conclude that feet washing as an ordinance was intended in 
this case. 

Why such a Command? 

In the institution of this ordinance the Savior made His 
master stroke for leveling the citadel of pride and the manifest 
desire on the part of His disciples for preferment and 
supremacy over one another while members of the visible' 
Church. The use of this ordinance is apparent when we 
reflect that as pride comes into the Church this humble 
ordinance goes out. It is a most appropriate reminder of our 
humble station in the service of the Lord and of our relation- 
ship with our fellow believer. 



412 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

"Let Thy grace, Lord, make me lowly, 

Humble all my swelling pride, 
Fallen, guilty and unholy, 

Greatness from mine eyes I'll hide. 
I'll forbid my vain aspiring, 

Nor at earthly honors aim, 
No ambitious heights desiring 

Far above my humble claim." 

By observing this ordinance we recognize Christ's author- 
ity over the Church. 

how long shall man continue to observe the 

Ordinance? 
As the communion is to be observed in a manner showing 
"the Lord's death till he come," so likewise the washing of the 
saints' feet should be continued as an ordinance as one of the 
''all things" "till he come." Since the Reformation there has 
been a rapid decline in the observance of the ordinance among 
the Protestant churches. Even within the last century many 
churches which formerly were obedient to this command have 
discontinued the observance of the ordinance. It is now 
observed only by the Mennonites, Church of the Brethren, 
Brethren in .Christ, and a few of the smaller denominations. 
All that remains of it in the Catholic Church is the washing 
of the feet of a number of attendants by the pope each year 
just before Easter and a similar service is performed annually 
by the Emperor of Austria who washes the feet of a number) 
of beggars selected for the occasion. 

Some Questions Answered 

However well the foregoing treatise may set forth the 
scriptural ground for observing feet washing as an ordinance, 
its defenders still need to be prepared to answer such questions 
as the following: 

1. Is feet washing an essential to salvation? 

Salvation comes not through ordinances, but by grace 
through faith to all that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Therefore feet washing is no more essential to salvation than 
is any other Christian ordinance. Yet when a person wilfully 
rejects this or any other commandment of our Savior he wil 1 . 



FEET WASHING 413 

l)e held guilty of disobedience. "To him that knoweth to do 
good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." 

2. If feet washing is one of the "all things" mentioned 
by our Savior {Matt. 28:19) why do not the other evangelists 
mention it? 

Matthew wrote as a Hebrew to the Hebrew Christian 
Church as it existed before Gentile converts were fully 
recognized, and for reasons obviously pertinent to that early 
period, he omitted to mention: — ■ 

The first miracle — and 12 of the others. 

The call of the first five disciples. 

Twelve of the most important Parables of our Lord. 

Three of his most important discourses — with Nicodemuus, 
with the Samaritan woman, and with his disciples on feet 
washing. 

Mark and Luke wrote in Greek as impartial historians to 
the whole Christian Church — the first abridging and the latter 
enlarging on Matthew's treatise; while John, though himself 
omitting the baptism of Jesus, the preparation of the Passover, 
and the observance of the Last Supper, found it needful, in 
the late period in which he wrote (about A. D. 90), to supply 
information that the other three evangelists had omitted. 

Once is sufficient. If we were to reject all the things 
mentioned by but one of the evangelists, we would reject some 
of the principal teachings of the Bible. John mentions about 
thirty-three points and incidents omitted by the other three. 
With these is the one in which Christ institutes the ordinance 
of feet washing. From this point of view it is apparent that 
where Matthew, Mark, and Luke omit mention of an important 
injunction John prudently records it for the benefit of future 
generations as well as for that generation. 

3. // feet washing was instituted for literal observance 
by all Christians, why are there no recorded instances of its 
observance in the Acts or Epistles f 

In passages like, "If she have washed the saints' feet," 
and "They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and 
fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers," we have 



414 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

direct and indirect references to its observance; while in 
"Those things which ye have both learned and received and 
heard and seen in me, do" we have reference to all the 
ordinances — a list from which it would not seem possible to 
exclude feetwashing. 

4. Why is it not in more general practice among believer $ 
of modern times? 

The one principal reason is that the theology of today has 
been teaching through thousands of ministers and Sunday 
school teachers that feet washing is but an Oriental custom. 
In this way people have been turned away from an ordinance 
to which they might otherwise even today be giving faith fuf 
and loyal obedience. 

5. Does not a literal observance of feet zvashing lead' 
away from the deeper meaning which Christ meant to teach 
when He washed His disciples' feet? 

Not any more than the application of water detracts from' 
the deeper meaning attached to baptism, or the bread and the 
cup detract from the deeper meaning attached to the commun- 
ion. If God saw fit to institute these things that man might 
have some visible symbols of deeper meanings, man ought not 
to try to argue them away. Instead of leading away from the 
deeper meaning a literal observance of the ordinance em- 
phasizes it. 

6. Does not the fact that Christ washed His disciples' 
feet at a social feast {probably at the Bethany supper) and not 
in connection with any religious function, make void any claims 
to this being an ordinance? 

In the first place, this was not instituted at a merely social 
feast. Compare Matt. 26:17-35, Mark 14:12-26, and Luke 
22:1-30 with Jno. 13:1-30, and you will find convincing 
evidence that they refer to one and the same feast. But evert' 
if this did occur at the Bethany supper, this would not nullify 
the commandment of the Lord. "If ye know these things, 
happy are ye if ye do them." 

7. What need is there for its literal observance today?' 
In the first place, it is one of the "all things" referred ; fr> 



I 



FEET WASHING 415 

by our Savior in the Great Commission, and is a plain com- 
mand, which no child of God should think of ignoring or dis- 
obeying. Then it is a fact that never before has there been 
a greater need for some visible symbol of humility and brother- 
ly equality in the Church than there is today. The washing of 
the saints' feet is an act which so beautifully typifies the 
admonition, "By love serve one another," that it is a mis- 
fortune for any church to ignore the ordinance. There is a 
blessing connected with the observance of which no humble 
child of God having once experienced it would want to be 
without. 

And this great fact stares all Christendom in the face 
today: There is Jno. 13:1-17. What are you going to do 
with it? 



CHAPTER IV 
THE DEVOTIONAL COVERING 

Introductory Thoughts 

In Paul's letters to the Corinthians we get some of the 
clearest views of the actual difficulties encountered by Chris- 
tianity in non-Christian communities, and see the religion of 
Christ confronted by the culture, the customs, the various 
social arrangements, and the vices of the Pagan world. 

Some Practical Questions. — Many are the questions that 
poured in upon Paul, on whom rested the care of all the 
churches. May we eat with our heathen relatives? May we 
intermarry with those who are not Christians? May we 
marry at all? If we are married and one becomes a Christian, 
must such an one dissolve the marriage relation? Can slaves 
continue in the service of heathen masters? What is the 
relation of the communion to the ordinary meal? How about 
men and women praying with their heads covered or un- 
covered? 

As we read Paul's answers to these and other questions, 
we are impressed with the wisdom of God as manifest in 
Paul's calmness and patience, intellectual vigor, practical 
sagacity, the brevity and yet the completeness of the discus- 
sion of these intricate problems. In the subject under con- 
sideration we also have an admirable illustration of Paul's 
manner of solving all practical difficulties by means of prin- 
ciples which are as true and useful for us today as they w ere 
for those primitive Christians who heard Paul's own voice 
teaching them. 

Paul's Methods of Instruction. — In treating ethical or 
practical subjects Paul is never, content with a mere rule for 



THE DEVOTIONAL COVERING 417 

the time being, but the decisions are based upon the profound - 
est Christian principles. Whoever therefore will endeavor to 
argue away or make void the teaching of I Cor. 11 :1-16 may 
with equal propriety do the same with any and all of the 
teachings in this epistle. 

What would you think of a man who would say that 
Paul's teaching about charity, communion, marriage, self- 
denial, idolatry, fornication, etc., were only rules for that day 
and are now out of date? And what about the individual who 
endeavors to twist or eradicate (if possible) the teaching pre- 
sented in I Cor. 11:1-16 in order to meet the approval of an 
unconverted world? "If any man shall add unto these things, 
God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this 
book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the 
book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the 
book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things 
which are written in this book" (Rev. 22:18, 19). Is it' 
possible that by disobedience we may add to or take from? 
It certainly is ; and may none of us deal lightly with any part 
of the inspired Word. 

An Exposition of I Cor. 11:1-16 

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 
Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, 
and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you (vs. 1, 2). 

The apostle here desires to express his satisfaction that 
on the whole they had adhered to the instructions he had 
already given them while at Corinth. "I praise you, brethren," 
said he, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the 
ordinances, as I delivered them to you." "Ordinances," some- 
times translated "traditions," means doctrine taught either by 
word (direct from the mouth or by epistle — writing — II Thes. 
2:15). Note also that the ordinances which he gives are not 
merely Paul's own opinions as to what might be expedient in 
view of the customs of that day, but he says of himself, "I 
have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto 
you" (V. 23— See also I Cor. 14:37). 



418 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

But I would have you know, that the head of every man 
is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the 
head of Christ is God (V. 3). 

In the divine arrangement in the creation, God, standing 
at the head, created all things through and for Christ (Col. 
1:15-17; Jno. 1:3; Heb. 1:2), thus showing Christ's headship. 
Note also Gen. 1:26, 27: "Let us make man in our own 

image, after our likeness : and let them have dominion 

So God created man in his own image." "And the Lord God 
said, It is not good that the man should be alone ; I will make 
him an help meet for him" (Gen. 2:18). So man, with 
woman as a help, looked to Christ as their head, and they 
(man, and woman as a help) were the head of lower things 
(Gen. 1:26). 

This divine headship in Christ was partially, if not wholly, 
lost in the sin of Eve who, instead of being a help to man, 
led him away (Gen. 3:12), and a part of woman's curse for 
her transgression (I Tim. 2:14) was that now man should 
rule over her (Gen. 3:16) — be her head. Hence in uncivilized 
countries woman is largely a slave, subject to the desires of 
man — under the curse. In civilization, which is only a step 
between uncivilization and Christianity, woman struggles and 
by her own power endeavors to free herself from the curse — a 
slave to man — and to rise to be his equal or even superior. 
But with all her struggles she can not succeed in becoming 
independent of man. Woman is not so strong as man 
physically and can never expect to have the authority over 
him. Even as civilized man without Christ can never rise to 
his highest and greatest liberty, so woman can never attain to 
any nobler and higher calling than to accept her position in 
and through Christ, and be "an help meet for man" — a glory 
to man. Christ restores what was lost in man and in woman, 
and hence is their spiritual head. Woman accepting Christ 
and taking her position in the divine plan, recognizes man as 
her human head. Thus we arrive at the foundation truth as 
stated by Paul — God, Christ, man, woman. 

This relation of Christian woman to Christian man is not 



THE DEVOTIONAL COVERING 419 

that servile, slave-like kind seen in heathen countries, but it is 
a relation of love, as that between father and son, mother and 
daughter, Christ and the Church. "As the church is subject 

unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands 

Husbands, love your wives'' (Eph. 5:24, 25). 

The inward change in woman as she becomes a Christian 
and worships Christ and God independently of man (for in 
Christ there is "neither male nor female" — Gal. 3 :28) does 
not dissolve her original relation to him (as "a help meet for 
him," a "glory to him"), but it rather intensifies her relation 
by creation and brings her back to her Edenic position. While 
it is true, as Paul teaches, that, so far as woman's connection 
with Christ goes, there is no distinction of sex (to the woman, 
as to the man, the offer .of salvation is made directly), yet it is 
equally true that the Christian woman is to recognize her social 
position as decreed by God, and she should acknowledge 
faithfully and willingly that man is her human head. 

When a boy becomes a Christian it does not sever his 
social relations to his parents but rather confirms them. When 
a. servant becomes a Christian it does not release him from 
subjection to his master but rather renders the duty more 
sacred. Christ also, though He thought it not robbery to be 
equal with God, made Himself of no reputation, and took upon 
Himself the form of a servant; yet God highly exalted Him 
(Phil. 2:5-9). "Let this mind be in you, which was also in 
Christ Jesus." So woman, equal with man in salvation, 
acknowledging her position as subject to her human head, is 
exalted far above any position which this world has to offer 
her. 

Every man praying or prophesying, having his head 
covered, dishonor eth his head (V. 4). 

Man, who is the image and glory of God, and who has 
his head-ship in the unseen Christ, dishonors his head (Christ), 
when he prays or prophesies with his head covered (veiled — 
R. V.). 

But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her 



420 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

head uncovered dishonoreth her head: for that is even all one 
as if she were shaven (V. 5). 

Let us notice that both her spiritual Head (Christ) and 
her human head (man) are dishonored : 

1. Christ her divine Head is dishonored by her dis- 
obedience to the divine plan. All who adopt their own plans 
and theories in preference to the plan given by the inspired 
Word thereby dishonor Christ and God. 

2. Christian man (her human head) is dishonored when 
the woman (created as a help meet for him) refuses to accept 
her position or to cover (veil — R. V.) her head when praying 
or prophesying (which is given her as a sign that she has 
accepted her position). 

As children who disobey the Word of God dishonor their 
parents ; as Christian people who refuse to submit to the 
higher powers receive to themselves condemnation (Rom. 13:l.i 
2), thereby bringing dishonor to Christ and the Church; so 
Christian women who substitute some other way for the Bible 
way are a dishonor to Christian man. 

3. "For that is all one as if she were shaven." In verse 
15 we are told that the long hair is a glory to woman. Now 
as woman is deprived of that glory when her hair is shaven 
off, so is the Christian man deprived of his glory when the 
woman (the help meet for him) refuses to wear the sign 
which shows her position in the divine relationship between 
man and woman. 

For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: 
but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let 
her be covered (V. 6). 

Paul reasons that if a woman will not cover (veil — R. V.) 
her head when praying and prophesying (thereby dishonoring 
Christ and man) she deserves nothing less than to be shorn or 
shaven (which would be a shame unto her). But if this be a 
shame to her, let her be covered (veiled — R. V.) lest she 
bring like shame to him and to others by her disobedience to 
the divine plan. 

This verse also proves that Paul could not mean that 



THE DEVOTIONAL COVERING 421 

woman's hair could be used for a prayer head-covering, for if 
she "be not covered" (with hair) how could she be shorn? 
Here is the divine edict : "If the woman be not covered, 
(veiled — R. V). let her ALSO be shorn." 

For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch 
as he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the 
glory of the man (V. 7). 

Man ought not to pray or prophesy with his head covered, 
"forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God." Woman 
ought to worship with her head covered, for she "is the glory 
of the man." Man (the glory of God), having his head-ship 
in Christ and God (the unseen), head uncovered — woman (the 
glory of man), with her head-ship in man (the seen) and 
Christ, head covered. 

For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the 
man (V. 8). 

To prove the Christian woman's relation to man, refer- 
ence is here made to the creation — man formed first, the 
woman formed of the man. 

Neither was the man created for the woman; but the 
woman for the man (V. 9). 

A second argument is drawn from the purpose of the 
creation (Gen. 2:18) — neither the man created for the woman, 
but the woman for the man. 

For this cause ought the woman to have power on her 
head because of the angels (V. 10). 

Revised Version, "Sign of authority." In the original 
Greek this word pozver is "exousia" which, as used in Matt. 
9:8 and 10:1 means power to do something. In Jno. 10:18 
and Acts 5:4 it means liberty or license. In Matt. 9:6 and 
21:23 it means right, authority, full power. In Jno. 1:12 it 
means dignity, honor, etc. From all this we conclude that the 
"power" or "sign of authority" is a symbol of dignity, honor, 
position, authority, inherent power, etc. 

To be a sign of authority, a thing must be recognized as 
such. A vessel claiming to belong to the United States and 
sailing with a piece of sail cloth fastened to its mast will not 



422 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

be recognized as having authority back of her. It is only when 
the "stars and stripes" (an emblem adopted by the United' 
States for that purpose) are seen floating from her flag-staff 
that she is recognized as being vested with authority. Like J 
wise a hat, bonnet, hood, or any other article of apparel used 
for protection, or perhaps for fashion's sake, can not be 
recognized as a "sign of authority;" for they have never been 
adopted by the Church as such, neither are they so recognized 
by the world. 

The plain cap, usually white, is not used for the protec- 
tion of the head against heat or cold, and has no other use 
except that for which the Church has adopted it — a sign 
showing Christian woman's restored position in and through 
Christ; not under the curse (Gen. 3:16), but as "an help 
meet for man" (Gen. 2:20), as a glory of man (V. 7), as 
now having honor, dignity, inherent power, etc. 

"For this cause," the several reasons given before, and 
"because of the angels." The good angels are "ministering' 
spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of 
salvation" (Heb. 1 :14). They are to minister to faithful, 
obedient woman as well as to faithful, obedient man, for "in 
Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female." Now if God 
would curse an angel who teaches wrong doctrines (Gal. 1:8), 
and put in chains the angels who kept not their first estate 
(Jude 6), can we expect a faithful angel to minister to those 
who would be willingly disobedient to God's plan and order? 
If good angels do not minister, who will? A fallen angel 
might help to separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:38). 
"If God be for us, who can be against us?" Will God' be for 
us if we set ourselves against His divine plan and counsel? 
A glance at those who say, "Lord, Lord," and do not the will 
of the Father in heaven (Matt. 7:21) will show the truth of 
God's Word. 

Woman's slavery to Fashion is a confirmation of the 
truth of God's Word. Refusing to be subject to the will of 
God, she (perhaps) unconsciously but devotedly bows to the 
will of unconverted mankind and directs her powers to attract 



THE DEVOTIONAL COVERING 423 

and please man, sacrificing health, comfort,, and modesty, in 
her blind submission under the curse, striving harder to please, 
men than to please God. 

May every woman who does not cover her head with a 
special sign-covering be honest and turn her thoughts upon 
herself, and see if she is not an actual witness to the truth of 
God's Word. May every local church, or any sister in the Lord 
who drops her devotional covering, honestly test herself wheth- 
er it is not simply exchanging the divine plan for a man-made 
plan, thus affording more freedom to walk with the world. 
And are not those churches which once upheld this doctrine 
but have now dropped it, living witnesses that modesty 
coupled with Holy Ghost power is fast giving way to worldli- 
ness and lack of power? 

Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, 
neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. .For as the 
woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman: 
but all things of God (Vs. 11, 12). 

In the preceding verses the main arguments were to show 
woman's position. In these verses Paul gives a caution lest 
the inference be carried too far. Here is shown the mutual 
oneness of the man and the woman in the Lord. They were 
made the one for the other. As it was "not good that the 
man should be alone," the woman was made for the man — 
the man a defence, a help, a comfort to the woman; the 
woman "an help meet for man." In marriage both are to be 
"one flesh" (Gen. 2:24). All this is planned and arranged by 
divine wisdom and power. 

Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto 
God uncovered? (V. 13) 

After setting forth the foregoing principles, Paul now 
appeals to woman's better judgment. And since he appeals to 
her judgment, he now takes her on the ground of Nature, 
aside from revelation, and shows Nature's covering, the hair, 
which aside from worship and the revealed will of God, would 
be all the covering needed, and with the hair only for a covering 



424 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

woman shows that her religion is only that which is shown by 
Nature and not 'by our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have 
long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long 
hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a 
•covering (Vs. 14, 15). 

Since you understand by nature that man is to have short 
hair and woman is to have long hair (a difference even in 
nature), would it not be reasonable to have the revealed Word 
of God holding out to us a difference (man uncovered, woman 
covered) ? "Her hair is given her for a covering." All Bible 
scholars agree that the covering, peribolaiou, her hair (nature's' 
covering), can not mean the same covering mentioned in verses 
4, 5, 6 katakalupto, or the word power (a "sign of authority"), 
exousia, as used in verse 10. 

But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such 
custom, neither the churches of God (V. 16). 

Contentious about what? That which he has just been 
teaching. "No such custom." What custom? Of women 
praying or prophesying with uncovered heads. "Neither the 
churches of God." An additional argument appealing to the 
surrounding churches, where no custom putting aside the 
covering was to be found. Clarke says, "If she will not wear 
a veil, let her carry the badge of infamy." 

Concluding Thoughts 

Finally, let us not lose sight of God's order of arrange- 
ments, but hold fast the blessed Word. Some one says, 
"There are weightier matters than this to talk about." Grant 
it. But this is a part of God's Word, and should be obeyed 
reverently. There are sins of omission as well as of commis- 
sion. "These things ought ye to have done, and not to have 
left the other undone." 

The revealed Word of God consists of — 

1. Facts, which are to be believed — faith. 

2. Promises, to be realized, now and in the future — hope. 



THE DEVOTIONAL COVERING 425 

3. Commandments, which are to be obeyed — obedience, 
a test of character. 

Summarizing Paul's teaching concerning the devotional 
covering, we conclude — 

1. That the things which Paul taught are for the 
enlightenment and obedience of all people. 

As evidence of this read Acts 9:15, I Cor. 14:37, Gal. 
1:8, 9, II Thess. 3:6. 

2. Alan should zvorship with his head uncovered. 

This fact is so clearly stated (V. 4) that it needs no 
defence. 

3. Woman should worship with her head covered. 
This teaching (Vs. 5, 6, 10) is likewise clear. It requires 

no great scholarship to comprehend these truths. All we need 
to do is to open our eyes and in simple faith read what God 
through Paul has revealed to man. 

4. This covering is something distinct from the long hair. 
This truth is evident, (1) because of the word "also" in 

V. 6; (2) because of the two Greek words, "katakaluptetai" 
and "peribolaion," from which the two words, for artificial 
and natural coverings are taken; (3) because of the word 
"power," or, as used in revised version, "sign of authority" 
found in V. 10. There is no way of reasoning (?) this to 
mean the long hair, for both converted and unconverted 
women wear it (nature teaches them that lesson) and there is 
no sign of devotion about it. 

5. This covering is something that is distinct from the 
bonnet, the hat, the hood, or even a veil that is worn for 
protection, or any other protection covering worn by woman. 

Nothing that is not worn as the "sign and recognized for 

that purpose, will answer to Paul's teaching on this subject. 

This covering is a veiling, worn in obedience to the divine 



No one can read the revised version honestly and come to 
any other conclusion. The words, "veil," "veiled," etc. admit 
of no other construction. 



426 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

7. This veiling should be worn by all Christian women, 
married or single. 

In a number of Scripture references the words "woman" 
and "virgin" or "maid" are used interchangeably. Compare 
Matt. 1:23 with Gal. 4:4, and Luke 22:56 with Luke 22:57. 
If both married and single women are submissive to the lesson 
which God through nature teaches (Vs. 14, 15), it follows 
that both married and single women should be submissive to 
the lesson which God through revelation teaches (Vs. 5, 6, 10). 

8. Being a church ordinance, the Church should de- 
termine the form. 

So far as I Cor. 11:2-16 is concerned, any form of the 
veil which is worn as a sign of devotion and woman's rightfu} 
place in worship and Christian relationship, and recognized as 
such, will answer the purpose ; provided the scriptural 
standard of order and submission are complied with. "Let all 
things be done decently and in order," says Paul. It is but 
reasonable to suppose, therefore, that whatever the form the 
Church agrees upon, all members should cheerfully conform to. 
Two things, therefore, should be expected in determining what 
this covering should be: (1) a veiling as to fabric, (2) 
Church sanction as to form. 

9. This covering should be zvorn in all times of devotion. 
"Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head 

uncovered dishonored! her head." In the public service, in the 
family devotions, at the table, during times of Bible reading, 
in all times of devotion, that "sign" or "power" should be in! 
evidence. This should be done, not merely because it is a 
church rule, for even where there is no rule like that in the" 
churches the Word of God still stands. While church rules 
should not be despised but reverenced, here is a scripture 
which is so very plain that no one should think of ever 
disobeying it. A conscientious and prayerful observance of 
this ordinance will bring many blessings that would otherwise 
be missed. 

Let every reader turn to I Cor. 11:2-16, and after a 



THE DEVOTIONAL COVERING 427 

careful and prayerful reading of the same resolve by God's 
grace to be obedient thereto until the final summons to "come 
up higher" will render this "sign" no longer necessary. 
May the Lord help us to be obedient in all things. 



CHAPTER V 
THE CHRISTIAN SALUTATION 

Salute one another with an holy kiss. — Rom. 16:16. 

God created man a sociable being. "It is not good that 
the man should be alone" was no more true of Adam than it 
is of us. Mutual recognition as we meet or pass one another 
is a universal custom among all nations. Language and form 
vary, but so long as man remains a sociable being there will be 
some form by which people will recognize one another, either 
in a respectful or disrespectful way. The Bible speaks of three 
forms of salutation, as follows: 

I. The Personal Greeting 

This is the most common form, the one most frequently 
mentioned in the Bible. "Salute no man by the way," said our 
Savior to His disciples as He sent them forth to "the lost sheep 
of the house of Israel." By this we are not only to understand 
that He wanted them to lose no time unnecessarily, but saluting 
each other was a very common practice in that day. "Greet 
the friends by name," is the loving admonition of the disciple 
whom Jesus loved. This must have been a remarkable gift of 
John's, and is today a decided help when one is able readily to 
recall the faces and names of those met before. If you are 
able to call your friends by their given names, you will seem all 
the nearer to them, especially young people. 

Not only should we greet our friends by name, but our 
love to God and man should be strong enough to be friendly 
towards enemies as well. "If ye salute your brethren only, 
what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so" 
(Matt. 5:47)? God wants us warm-hearted enough not to 
imitate the world in acting distantly towards those who treat 
us coolly. A hearty "Good morning" may have the effect of 



THE CHRISTIAN SALUTATION 429 

driving away that unfriendly feeling and win for you a friend. 
Let your soul be overflowing with love, and your words and 
deeds abound in friendship for all people. One way to show 
your friendship is to speak to people as you pass them. 

II. The Right Hand of Fellowship 
The hand-shake is not of modern origin. Paul said that 
when James and Peter and John perceived the grace that was 
given to him and Barnabas, they extended to them "the right 
hand of fellowship" (Gal. 2:9).. We understand,, therefore, 
that this was and is more than a mere social custom. When 
extended in sincerity it is an expression of friendship and good 
will. Usually the character of the individual is revealed in the 
shake of the hand. By it we form ideas of the candor, 
sincerity, strength or weakness of character, warmth or 
coldness of feeling on the part of those whose hands we grasp. 
Thus did the apostles, recognize Barnabas and Paul to be on 
the same spiritual level with themselves. Thus do people today 
give evidence of friendship for one another. There is power 
in a warm hand-shake, provided it is prompted by godly 
sincerity and good will. 

III. The Holy Kiss 

This form of salutation was both practiced (Acts 20:37) 
and commanded by the apostles. It is an expression of a 
greater degree of warmth and fervor than the other forms 
noticed, and the command for its observance is .limited to 
believers. 

A Symbol of Love. — This manner of saluting -is both 
sacred and precious when observed as God would have it 
observed. In this way husband and wife, parents and children, 
Christian and fellow Christian salute each other. The kiss' is 
as natural an, expression of fervent love as is the hand-shake anf 
expression of warm friendship. 

A Command. — It is not strange, therefore, that 'this- 
form of salutation should be enjoined upon believers. Thus 
Paul writes to the brethren at Rome, Corinth, and Thessalonica,. 
telling them in so many words to keep this command (Rom.. 



430 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

16:16; I Cor. 16:20; II Cor. 13:12; I Thess. 5:26). Peter 
also writes to the brotherhood of the churches scattered abroad 
saying, ''Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity" (I Pet. 
5:14). Five times commanded, the reason for its observance 
stated, all that is left is to obey. 

Why Observe it? — The best answer we can give to this 
question is that the Bible commands it. There can be no 
mistake on that point. But has not the modern hand-shake 
taken its place? Who says that the hand-shake is "modern ?" 
and who has ordered the substitution? So long as there i 
"fervent charity," "the bond of perfectness," among God's 
people, there is a place for its appropriate symbol, the kiss of 
charity ; and until we have an authoritative message from 
God that the writings of Paul and Peter are "out of date" w^ 
shall continue to refuse to accept the testimony of man to that 
effect. 

We have heard many objections — unsanitary, inconvenient, 
making a gazing-stock of ourselves, liability of catching disease, 
the other fellow a hypocrite, "out of date," too little to be 
noticed — but the one objection that outweighs all the rest in the 
eyes of the objectors is that the world looks with scorn upon) 
the practice. With due consideration for the care which both 
Bible and common sense teach, all these objections would 
immediately disappear if one of two things would happen: the 
kiss coming into common use among men as it is among 
women, or all people bearing the name Christian filled with! 
fervent love for God and charity for one another. 

Its Meaning. — It is the symbol of love (I Pet. 5:14), an 
expression of holy regard (II Cor. 13:12); hence called "an 
holy kiss." And the holiness need not necessarily be on the side 
of the other, but of self. The father of the prodigal son planted 
the kiss upon the face of his wayward child,' the mother 
embraces and kisses her erring son, and in the same spiritj 
should the Christian with overflowing love to God and man 
greet his stumbling and inconsistent brother with even greater 
fervor than if he were more worthy. We should greet our 
brethren, not with the kiss of judgment, but with "the kiss of 



THE CHRISTIAN SALUTATION 431 

charity." It is "an holy kiss" provided you yourself are clean, 
pure before God, and filled with love for your brother. 

Whom to Greet.— "All the brethren" (I Thess. 5:26), 
not merely those holding certain places in the Church. "One 
another" (Rom. 16:16; I Pet. 5:14), thus signifying that here 
is a command for the consideration and obedience of all 
believers. What if others are uflwilling? That does not speak 
well for them, but are you free from this unwillingness? 
Where the practice of brethren greeting brethren in the Gospel 
way has fallen into general disuse it is a sign that the fervent 
charity which should characterize the people of God has also 
passed into disuse. With the love of God shed abroad in your 
hearts by the Holy Ghost, you are ready at all times to greet 
your brother in the Gospel way. 

Abuses. — Like all other commandments, this ordinance 
is often abused. Some practice it while the heart is not free 
from envy or bitterness. Some practice it when it is looked 
upon with general approval, but are very shy when the scornerr 
is around to make sport. Like Judas, some make of the 
pretended "holy kiss" the kiss of betrayal. Some make it a 
kiss of judgment, withholding it from all that they think are 
not right. Some who are very inconsistent in their way of 
living practice it to make a show of their pretended piety. 
For these reasons, some advise us to discontinue the practice. 
By the same logic, every commandment of the Lord should be 
disobeyed. Why not reason from the other, side, get rid of 
inconsistencies, let God give us a clean heart and pure life • 
and abuses, so far as we are concerned, will be a thing of the 
past. While the holy kiss can be practiced only by those who 
are filled with holy love, no one should be satisfied without 
being the happy possessor of this essential Christian grace. 

The spirit in which this admonition is given by the 
apostles shows that it should be observed by brethren among 
brethren, and by sisters among sisters. 

What the Observance of this Ordinance Means for the 
Brotherhood. — If entered into "in the newness of he spirit, 
not the oldness of the letter/' it means much. It means the 



432 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

approving smile of God who inspired His servants to make 
known His will to man in this matter. It means a warm, 
spiritually healthy feeling, a "bond of perfectness," of which 
this is the symbol. It is mere formalism when observed 
because it is law and the law ha*s not been engraved "on the; 
fleshly tables of our hearts." But where the fervent charity 
exists which makes this an appropriate practice, and the' 
holiness exists which renders the term "holy kiss" an 
appropriate name, its general observance is honored to the 
glory of God and the strengthening of the cause. Where the/ 
holy kiss is not in general practice among brethren there is 
reason to examine into the hearts to find out what is the matter. 
It is God's Word, it is but the natural expression of what 
should be in every Christian heart, and to be outwardly 
obedient is simply a sign that all is well within. Though this 
holy ordinance is often abused, the most frequent abuse of it 
is the irreverent language used in talking about it and against 
it. One of the most healthy signs that all is well within is an 
attitude of cheerful obedience outwardly. 



CHAPTER VI 

ANOINTING WITH OIL 

And they .... anointed with oil many that 
were sick, and healed them. — Mark 6:13. 

An Ancient Practice. — This custom was in use at a very 
early period in the world's history. 

Ruth was commanded to anoint herself in preparation to 
meet her future husband, Boaz. Ruth 3 :3. 

Bodies were anointed for purposes of refreshment and 
purification. II Chron. 28:15; Esther 2:12. 

The Psalmist writes, "I shall be anointed with fresh oil" 
(Psa. 92:10). 

Ointments were used in preparing bodies for burial. Matt. 
26:12. 

One of our Savior's instructions to His disciples was, 
'"When thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face" 
(Matt. 6:17). 

When the twelve were sent out on a missionary journey 
"they anointed many that were sick, and healed them" (Mark 
6:13). 

Thus it is seen that anointing with oil was practiced at a 
very early age, and for various purposes. This chapter has to 
do especially with the anointing of the sick, coupled with faith 
and prayer. 

Anointing for Healing purposes 
New Testament Authority. — There are two references 
which we wish to notice. The first is found in Mark 6:13, 
already quoted in part, telling of the disciples anointing the 
sick and healing them; the second is the testimony of James 
who says, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders 
of the church ; and let them pray over him, anointing him with 



434 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

oil in the name of the Lord : and the prayer of faith shall save 
the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have com- 
mitted sins, they shall be forgiven him" (Jas. 5:14, 15). 

A Religious Ceremony. — The first thought that we wish 
to note in connection with this subject is that it should be 
considered a religious ceremony. Some say that James did 
not refer to literal oil, but to the "oil of grace." To this 
we offer the same objection that we do to the man that says 
that water baptism is no command but baptism with the 
Holy Ghost alone is sufficient. Man can not baptize with the 
Holy Ghost, neither can he anoint with the oil of grace. 
Then again, did the disciples, when "they anointed with oil 
many that were sick," use literal oil, or the oil of grace? 

Another question: Is the oil applied because of its healing 
properties, or is there a deeper meaning connected with its ap- 
plication to the person? If James had in mind only the healing 
properties of the oil, it seems to us that he would either have 
given directions as to its use or advised the sick to send for a 
physician instead of for the elders. But he says, "Let him call 
for the elders of the church; and let them pray" — followed 
with a promise. Furthermore he says, "The prayer of faith 
(not the oil) shall save the sick." This makes it clear that 
James had in mind not merely the curative powers of the oil, 
but also the greater curative power of God. The healing 
properties of oil being recognized, we see in it an appropriate 
symbol of what God can and does do for both body and soul; 
and as such it is used in the anointing, just as water is used in 
baptism or the bread and the cup are used in the communion. 
In choosing types God always chooses the most striking, and 
the suitableness of oil as a type of healing is manifest to all. 
We understand this, therefore, as a religious ceremony en- 
joined upon believers under certain circumstances. 

Is this a Command? — Not in the same sense that 
baptism or the communion are commands. Concerning baptism 
it is said, "Be baptized." Of the communion Christ said, 
"This do ye." Concerning the washing of the saints' feet He 



ANOINTING WITH OIL 435 

said, "I have given you an example, that ye should do." Con- 
cerning the anointing, however, it comes to us as a divine sug- 
gestion rather than as a divine command. Lest some may read 
a meaning into this that does not belong here, we will say that 
the obedient child of God is as submissive to a divine sugges- 
tion as he is to a divine command. Notice how James ap- 
proaches the subject. 

"Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? 
let him sing psalms." How do you understand this? Is it a 
command to pray every time you are afflicted, and to sing 
psalms every time you are merry? If so, then many of us 
have failed in the matter of singing psalms, especially those 
who can not sing. Or do you understand that these are sug- 
gestions from the Lord for the consideration of His people 
in times of affliction or of joy? If this is your view, then 
you have our view as to how the matter of anointing with oil 
should be regarded. Whenever you are sick, think of this sug- 
gestion from the Lord. 

Purpose of the Anointing. — This is plainly stated in the 
instructions : "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and 
the Lord shall raise him up." The promise is positive, and we 
should not try to get away from it. Look it squarely in the 
face, believe it, accept it, and you are not liable to become mis- 
led or fanatical on this subject. 

Then why are there so many who are anointed but who do 
not get well? It may be for one or more among a number of 
reasons. Possibly it was not the Lord's will that the patient 
recover. Possibly there was a lack of faith either on the part 
of the sick or of the elder, or it may be that it was admin- 
istered as an unction for the soul and not with full faith that 
"the prayer of faith shall save the sick." Whatever may be 
the cause, let not the sick seek the anointing without full faith 
in the promise. A careful reading of James 5:14, 15 impresses 
us with the following: 

1. There are times when the anointing is not appropriate. 
It is certainlv not in order where there is not the prayer of 



436 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

faith. Then it is often the case that it is not God's will that 
the patient recover, at least not for the time being, when we 
can not pray for immediate recovery and pray "according to 
His will." As an instance we record the case where Paul 
testified, "But Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick." When 
you have in consideration the anointing, pray over the matter 
with eyes open to the promise. If you are moved after sincere 
and fervent prayer to call for the elders of the Church, with 
full faith that "the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the 
Lord shall raise him up," then "call for the elders of the 
church." Otherwise, wait until you have more definite lead- 
ings on the matter. The anointing is appropriate only, (1) 
when the Lord wants the sick to get well; (2) when the sick, 
after prayerful deliberation, is led to "pray according to his 
will." 

2. The anointing should not be administered as an unction 
to the soul. Some seek the anointing because they "want to 
keep this one commandment yet before they die," or in order 
to get fully ready for their death. Now the Bible does not 
even hint at any use like that for the andinting. On the other 
hand, there is the positive promise to raise up, and whoever is 
anointed as a preparation for dying lacks faith in the promise. 
It is the blood, not the oil, that we look to for the cleansing of 
the soul. 

3. The anointing is not for infants. They do not "call for 
the elders of the church." Infant anointing has no more- 
foundation in the Bible than has infant baptism. 

4. The anointing is not for the unconverted. If through 
their sickness they are awakened to their condition and desire 
to send for the elders of the Church, let there first be instruc- 
tions that will lead them to forsake their sins and accept Jesus 
as their Savior, then it will be time to speak of baptism and 
the anointing. 

5. Sickness is not necessarily the immediate result of sin. 
When James says, "and if he have committed sins," he infers 
that not all people who become sick are guilty of imputed sins-.. 



ANOINTING WITH OIL 437 

6. Recognize the elders of your own church. There is 
no more reason for sending for the elders of some other church 
to anoint the sick than there is to send for elders of some 
other denomination to administer baptism or communion. This 
being a religious ceremony, we should be as regular and as 
loyal in this matter as we are in any other religious ceremony 
connected with the Church and her people. 

7. The anointing is not for the saving of souls. Lest 
some one should get this idea from the promise, "and the 
prayer of faith shall save the sick/' the apostle adds, "and the 
Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they 
shall be forgiven him." As said before, the saving of the soul 
is not in any way connected with the anointing of oil. We 
look to the blood of Jesus for that. The matter of sins is 
simply incidental, so far as the subject before us is concerned. 
Whether the sick have committed sins or not, it is the healing 
of the body that is under consideration. But one thing isi 
certain : the man who meets God's conditions in this matter 
will be so fully given up to Him and so fully straightened out 
spiritually that he will rise from his bed with his sins forgiven. 

"Thy Will be Done." — This is an ordinance w4iich 
should be taken seriously. When the sick who pray "according 
to his will" send in faith for the elders of the Church, and the 
elders, in harmony with the. sick, pray in full faith that "the 
prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him 
up," we have every reason to believe that God will answer the 
prayer, raise the sick, and glorify His name. Yet we should 
not forget that as humans we are liable to err, and that how- 
ever careful or prayerful we may have been in all that we do 
there is a possibility in some one, either the patient or the 
elders or some one else, having failed in one or more of the 
conditions and the expected rise will not come. So we should 
never be so positive, either in the time of rising or in the 
rising at all, that we will not humbly include the petition of 
our Savior, "Nevertheless let not my will, but thine be done." 



438 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Taking God at His Word according to the best of our knowl- 
edge, let us move forward in faith, leave all to Him, and He 
will do that which He knows is best for us and the cause we 
love. 



CHAPTER VII 

MARRIAGE 

For this cause shall a man leave father and 
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife .... Where- 
fore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What 
therefore God hath joined together, let not man 
put asunder. — M'att. 19:5, 6. 

Marriage is an institution, ordained of God. After God 
created Adam He said, "It is not good that the man should be 
alone; I will make him an help meet for him" (Gen. 2:18). 
When Adam beheld Eve he said, "This is now bone of my 
bones, and flesh of my flesh .... Therefore shall a man leave 
his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife : and 
they shall be one flesh" (Gen. 2:23, 24). To this agrees the 
testimony of Christ saying, "Have ye not read, that he which 
made them at the beginning made them male and female, and 
said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and 
shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What 
therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" 
(Matt. 19:4-6). 

Why Marriage was Instituted 

Not Good that Man be Alone. — The first reason is 
found in God's expressed purpose in creating Eve : "It is not 
good that the man should be alone." We see the truth of this 
in the constitutional makeup of man and of woman; it is 
apparent in every normal home. Man and woman are essen- 
tially different ; One is the counterpart of the other physically, 
mentally, and temperamentally. What the normal man lacks 
the normal woman supplies, and what the normal woman lacks 
is found in the natural makeup of the normal man. It will be 
seen, therefore, that God in the very beginning recognizes the 



440 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

fact that there is a man's and a woman's sphere. Happy the 
man, happy the woman, who recognizes this provision of the 
Creator, and who works within the bounds of usefulness for 
which God intended him or her. 

Propagation of the Human Family. — Another reason 
for the institution of marriage is implied in the command, "Be 
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (Gen. 1:28). 

Purity. — Marriage was instituted to maintain the purity 
of the human family. There is a pure way (through marriage) 
and an impure way (outside of wedlock) of propagating seed. 
The Bible speaks in highest terms of child bearing through 
marriage, but denounces in unmeasured terms the same 
function outside of wedlock. It is a notable fact that people 
are morally pure where the marriage relation is held sacred, 
but shamefully corrupt where there is a looseness in the rela- 
tion between the sexes. That the wrath of God rests upon 
social impurity is evident from the fact that wherever it exist? 
there is a corresponding depravity and degradation along all 
other lines of morals and of manhood. "Marriage is honour- 
able in all, and the bed undenled : but whoremongers and 
adulterers God will judge" (Heb. 13:4). 

The Bringing up of Children. — The wisdom of God in 
the institution of marriage is evident when we consider the 
problem of bringing up children. The privacy of the home, the 
tenderness of the mother and sterner qualities of the father, 
and the strongest of all human ties (parental love) are all 
important factors in child training. Home is the foundation of 
the Church, society, and nation. Marriage is the life of the 
home. Orphans' homes are a fine thing; but they are at best 
but a substitute for something better — the home. There is 
nothing that can equal a well ordered Christian home as a 
place for bringing up children "in the nurture and admonition 
of the Lord." 

What Constitutes Marriage? 

To some this question may seem unnecessary ; but having 
heard many differences of opinion as to what marriage really 



MARRIAGE 441 

is, we shall consider the question at some length. First, let us 
notice — ■ 

What Marriage is not. — To have 'the negative side pf 
the question will help us to understand the positive side. 

It is not a mere business transaction. The man who 
marries a woman because of her wealth, or the parents who 
marry off their daughter to the wealthiest suitor they can find, 
or they who figure on the question of marriage from the 
standpoint of making it pay financially, are living on an 
exceedingly low plane morally. Marriage is not a mere 
mercantile transaction. 

It is not dealing in toys or pets. God's idea of Adam's 
need was "an help meet for him." If it is a parlor ornament 
that a man wants, he can find one much cheaper and far less 
troublesome than the hundredweight of human flesh misnamed 
"wife." If it is beauty that he wants, let him get a nice, 
beautiful doll that will not object to being cast away after its 
beauty fades. 

It is not the betrothal. There is a difference between the 
promise (the betrothal) and the fulfillment of the promise (the 
marriage). A failure to recognize this distinction has led some 
well-meaning people to hold erroneous views on the fundamen- 
tals of the marriage question. On this question we shall 
address ourselves first to honest people, and then to the other 
kind. 

Is the breaking of a promise of engagement ever justifi- 
able? We will answer that question by asking another one. 
If a swindler came around your way and sold you a piece of 
land which he never owned, and you found out the trick before 
you paid the money, would you pay it? If you as a marriage- 
able person, would pledge your hand and \ heart to a moral 
reprobate supposing him to be virtuous, and you afterwards 
found out his real character, would you consider your promise 
binding? Promises of marriage, like all other promises, should 
be held sacred, to be given and carried out in good faith ; but 
there are circumstances under which the keeping of a promise 
would be a moral crime : as, for example, the promise which 



442 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Saul of Tarsus made to bring the Christians of Damascus as 
prisoners to Jerusalem, or the vow which the forty Jews made 
that they would neither eat nor drink until they had taken the 
life of Paul. When therefore you find yourself under promise 
to do something which the Scriptures forbid, you have no 
moral right to keep the promise until you can keep it and at 
the same time be obedient to the Word of God. Then this 
question might come up in your minds: Suppose you were 
imder promise to marry an unbeliever, what would you do? 
We answer: Respect your promise; but under no circum- 
stances think of getting married to such an one until you have 
evidence that such an one is thoroughly converted, of like 
precious faith with yourself. If the other party refuses to 
stand for such an arrangement and breaks the engagement, you 
may consider yourself fortunate. You can be true to your 
promise and at the same time insist that it can not be fulfilled 
until the Gospel conditions are met. And under no circum- 
stances should you make a promise, of marriage or anything 
else, that you can not keep without breaking God's Word. 
Believing that the kind reader will understand without further 
consideration, we do however insist on this, and hope that you 
may never forget, that 

A promise of marriage is not marriage itself. If it were, 
then the privileges of wedlock would go with the betrothal, and 
the Lord alone knows how much moral rottenness has resulted 
from such immoral assumptions. 

Up to this point we have addressed ourselves to honest 
people who want to know and to do God's will only. Un- 
fortunately, people are not all of that kind. We have said 
nothing to justify any one to break an engagement because the 
charms of some one else has cooled off the first love. While 
there are circumstances where it is wiser not to marry than to 
marry, the getting tired of your betrothed because you have 
become enamored with the charms of some one else is none 
of these circumstances. When you have pledged your hand 
and heart to a virtuous member of the opposite sex, and then 
break that engagement because you get tired or have learned 



MARRIAGE 443 

to like some else better, you thereby prove your unworthiness 
of the confidence of any one; you are unworthy of any 
standing in decent society, to say nothing of church affiliations. 
Only by repentance and restitution can unfaithfulness to a 
promise of marriage be atoned for. A horse-thief is to be 
preferred to the inhuman wretch who wooes and wins the 
affections of a virtuous woman, promises marriage, disappoints 
her, and boasts of what he has done. Some have justified 
themselves in such nefarious business on the ground that they 
have at last found their "affinity" and it would be wrong not 
to heed the voice of God in such matters. But the fact is that 
this is not the voice of God but the voice of lust, for the idea 
of "soul mates" is founded on lust. Of all promises made to 
human beings, the promise of marriage in most sacred. Un- 
faithfulness to this promise is one of the vilest sins which any 
person can commit. 

It is not an act of lust. The proper name for that is 
licentiousness. When two have fallen into this vile sin the 
proper thing for them to do, as a rule, is to get married ; for 
their sin is so reprehensible and abominable that the only 
appropriate way out is to hang their heads in shame and bear 
their disgrace together. But with a repentance including 
confession and restitution as far as lies within their power, 
our Savior's "Go, and sin no more," rests as a benediction 
upon their now amended lives and they may still be of service 
to God and humanity. The act itself, however, is not marriage, 
Marriage rests upon a far nobler basis. 

What Marriage is. — We have noticed what marriage is 
not. Let us now take up the original question: What con- 
stitutes marriage? 

It is leaving father and mother and becoming part of a 
new family. "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his ' 
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife." No matter if they do 
live under the parental roof for a season, all legal claims of 
parents are now at an end and a new family has been brought 
into existence. 

It is becoming "one flesh" with one of the opposite sex. 



444 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

''They are no more twain, but one flesh/' is the way our 
Savior expresses the new relation. They surrender to each 
other their entire bodies. Hands, hearts, minds, possessions, 
everything has been thrown together into this "one flesh." The 
two have become one. It is well to notice that the sacredness 
of this tie is not affected by spiritual conditions. See I Cor. 
1 :1-17. "Marriage is honourable in all." Christ did not say 
"one spirit," but "one flesh." As individuals responsible to 
God and man for individual actions, they are still as much two 
persons as they ever were, but as "one flesh" they are one for 
life. 

It is the fulfillment of the betrothal. A young man and a 
young woman are thrown into each other's society. Acquaint- 
ance warms into friendship and friendship into love. They 
talk things over (and ought to make it a matter for sincere and' 
fervent prayer) and pledge each other their hands and hearts* 
Love endears their associations together and the days of their 
courtship are afterwards referred to as one of the brightest 
and happiest periods of their lives. Finally the time comes 
when they must be drawn still closer together and bear the 
responsibilities and burdens and joys of life together. Their 
betrothal is sealed in the marriage vow and "they are no more 
twain, but one flesh." 

Sacredness of Marriage 

We love to think of marriage because of its sacredness. 
Surrounding it are the tenderest memories which were ever the 
lot of man to cherish. Next to salvation it is the weightiest 
question which man has ever been called upon to consider. 
Notice the lofty place given it by the Bible. 

It is heaven-ordained. When Christ told of its sacredness 
He did not say, Whom parents have joined together, Whom the 
judge hath joined together, or Whom the minister or magistrate 
hath joined together; but "Whom God hath joined together." 
Instituted by the Lord, the bond which makes of twain "one 
flesh" is blessed with His heavenly benediction. 

It is indissoluble except by death. This is made plain by 



MARRIAGE 445 

the language of Christ: "What therefore God hath joined 
together, let not man put asunder." Paul adds his testimony 
saying, "The woman which hath an husband is bound by the 
law to her husband so long as he liveth ; but if the husband be 
dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, 
while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she 
shall be called an adulteress : but if her husband be dead, she 
is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she 
be married to another man" (Rom. 7:2, 3). The same truth 
is also expressed in I Cor. 7:39. Neither the judge upon the 
bench, nor any other man or earthly power, has the right to 
dissolve the bond which makes them "one flesh" until separated 
by death. 

It is "honourable in all!' It is not alone the children of 
c God who are bound by this sacred tie. Even the unbelieving 
companion is sanctified by the believing one. By this we 
understand that the bond of wedlock is a sacred one, whether 
believers or unbelievers are united by it. To this agree the 
-words of Paul: "Marriage is honourable in all." Since 
immorality is a crime against nature and a sin against God, 
whether committed by church members or non-church members, 
so marriage constitutes the sacred bond which makes it 
"honourable in all who assume its precious obligations. 

Who should Consider this Question? 

Parents should consider it, and teach its sacredness and 
importance to their children. Boys and girls in their later 
"teens," when they first enter the wider circles of society, 
should consider it enough to keep from becoming entangled in 
the society of those who would make undesirable companions 
later on in life. Since our life companions are usually chosen 
from among our companions in society, it behooves us to be 
careful that we choose pure associates whose views of life and 
religion are similar to those of our own. Since "Marriage is 
honourable in all." all who are of marriageable age have a right 
to and ought to consider the question. It should be borne in 
mind, however, that the Word does not make marriage 



446 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

obligatory upon all. In fact, there are conditions which render 
it advisable that some do not marry, and such should consider 
it a privilege to remain in the state which Paul commends in 
I Cor. 7. The Spirit's guidance can be trusted in this matter.. 

Intermarriage with Worldlings 

The "one flesh" idea is vital to the marriage question, but 
unless there is also one spirit and one faith the union in flesh 
as a rule proves disastrous. We have a forcible reminder of 
this in Gen. 6:1-6. The wickedness which then existed was- 
severely condemned, and the one contributing cause which God 
saw fit to mention was that "the sons of God saw the daughters 
of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of alf 
which they chose." 

The Mosaic law contains a number of admonitions against 
intermarriage with heathens, forbidding it entirely. Deut. 7 :3 ; 
Josh. 23:12,- 13. This commandment was repeatedly broken .by 
the children of Israel (as it is today by many whose fleshly 
desires are stronger than their attachment to the Word of God) 1 
with disastrous results. Among the most notable examples are- 
Samson, the strongest man (Judges 13-16), and Solomon, the- 
wisest man (Neh. 13:23-26). Looseness on the marriage 
question is a sure sign of looseness in morals, which at once 
shakes the very foundations of Home, Church, and State. The 
law against intermarriage with worldlings is more than a mere 
church restriction. It is one of the fundamentals, taught by 
both law and Gospel, and the history of nations is living proof 
that this law can not be broken without injury to the violators- 
and their posterity. 

Coming to the New Testament, we have the general 
admonition not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers- 
(II Cor. 6:14) and the weighty admonition found in I Cor. 
7:39: "Marry, only in the Lord." The Christian Church can- 
likewise testify to the ruinous effects of intermarriage with 
worldlings. Many chapters of woe have been written because 
this law of God has been disregarded by people who ought to* 
have known better. Some instances might be recorded here 



MARRIAGE 447 

with profit, but we forbear. There have been instances where 
mixed marriages seemingly proved all right so far as after 
results were concerned ; but such were the exceptions, not the 
rule. 

Intermarriage among Members of different 
Denominations 

This question must be discussed from the standpoint of 
wisdom rather than Bible teaching, for the reason that the 
Bible makes no provision for the division of the Christian 
Church into denominations. But they who have made this 
question a study are of one mind in pronouncing it unwise for 
young people of one denomination to choose their life com- 
panions from among those of other churches. Not that 
members of one church are necessarily better than those of 
•other churches, but "Can two walk together except they be 
agreed?" When there is so much difference between husband/ 
and wife that they can not fellowship each other in the same 
church, the best they can do is to "agree to disagree." They 
are divided on the most important question in life — the 
religious question — which fact as a rule is a handicap on their 
tisefulness of both in the work of their respective churches, and 
weakens their influence in bringing up their children "in the 
-nurture and the admonition of the Lord." 

The usual advice given to husband and wife under such 
•circumstances is for both to unite with the same church. This 
is good advice provided they can do so and each live true to 
conviction. But it is wrong for any one to disobey God's 
Word, even for the sake of belonging to the same church with 
.a life companion. A husband can not go to heaven on his 
wife's religion, neither can the wife get to heaven on her 
husband's religion. While in the flesh there is a union which 
•only death can dissolve, they are after all two individuals, each 
responsible to God for what they do or fail to do. The best 
course to take is to heed the advice of Paul (I Cor. 7) and 
make the most of circumstances. 

What we have said on the subject of intermarriage is 



448 BI'B'UE DOCTRINE 

intended not so much for the married as for those who still" 
have before them the responsibility of choice. Young people 
should be fully instructed along these lines, so that their eyes 
may be fully open to Bible teaching lest blind infatuation make 
them insensible to the highest interests, both of themselves and 
of the cause of Christ and the Church. 

After the Wedding, What? 

The betrothal and the ceremony are but the first steps 
connected with the question of marriage. Great as is the 
importance of making a wise choice, the responsible part of the 
question is to be found after the choice is made. Were the 
wedding ceremony and the "honeymoon" all there were to 
marriage, the question would not be quite so serious ; but the 
problem of making a success of life, both in actual service to 
humanity and in the rearing of posterity, lies beyond. The 
grave problem, What can we do to make the best of life? 
should be carefully, prayerfully, trustfully and hopefully 
considered by all who take the important step of becoming "one, 
flesh" for life. Following are a few of the truths which should 
never be lost sight of : 

1. Since your marriage is "in the Lord," the Lord should 
be recognized as the Head of the home. 

2. From the start your home should be a home of prayer. 
There should be no Christian home without a family altar. 

3. Take life seriously from the beginning. Marriage is a 
"joke" for simpletons only. Sensible people regard it as one 
of the most serious, important, ennobling, and best steps of 
their lives. Whether you spend some time under the parental 
roof of either bride or groom, or begin at once in building a 
home for yourselves, remember that in becoming "one flesh" 
you have left your respective families and have become one of 
your own. The rest of your journey will depend largely upon: 
how you start. 

4. One of your highest privileges is to train up a houseful 
of children for the work of the Lord. If God blesses you with 
health, but denies you the privilege of bringing up children of 



MARRIAGE 449 

your own, remember the many homeless children whom you 
may be privileged to adopt as your own and train for God. 

5. Child training should not only begin in infancy, but 
your condition mentally, morally and spiritually, before your 
children are born, will have much to do with their condition 
after they are born. 

6. The duties of husband and wife, as stated in Eph. 
5:22-33 and Col. 3:18, 19, should be prayerfully and constantly 
meditated upon, and put into, daily practice. 

7. While the mother, perhaps more than any one other 
factor, shapes the influences which determine the destinies of 
the children, the father should not forget his responsibility as 
the head of the home, to whom is committed the responsibility 
of bringing up the children "in the nurture and admonition of 
the Lord" (Eph. 6:4). While wives are enjoined to be 
"keepers at home" (Tit. 2:5), husbands should not forget 
their duty and their promise to stand by their companions 
"through evil as well as good report." 

8. Our home is what we make it. It may be a paradise, 
or the very reverse. Husband and wife should remember that 
while they are united by law, they should be much more 
closely united by love. Take away the union by love, and the 
union by law becomes a galling yoke. 

9. Living in luxury is not essential to the happiness of 
the home. The only luxuries needed ot make the home a 
place of happiness (and they are also actual necessities) are 
love and the grace of God. You can sleep better with a 
scanty supply of necessities than you could surrounded with 
abundance and have the whole plastered over with notes and 
mortgages. "Better is little with the fear of the Lord than 
great treasure and trouble therewith." Among the first lessons 
to be learned, and among the main essentials to real happiness 
in the home, are simplicity, economy, and contentment. 

10. Family life ought to add to your usefulness in public 
service. It is too often the case that young married couples 
spoil their usefulness in public service by either being gay 



450 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

and giddy or by being so well contented with themselves that 
they lose interest in society and Church. This ought not so 
to be. Young married people ought to take an active part in 
whatever the Church has for them to do. They fill a place in 
the work of Church and community that no one else can fill 
so well as they. If your married life does not make you more 
dependable and useful in public service, there is something 
wrong with your marriage. 

11. Cultivate commendable" habits. Picture* in your mind 
what you conceive to be an ideal home and an ideal life in 
the home ; then try your best to reach it. Kindness, cheerful- 
ness, seriousness, studiousness, cleanliness, quietness, piety, 
hospitality, sympathy, love, temperance — these are some of 
the habits which should be cultivated in every home, from the 
beginning. By and by, when children surround the family 
fireside and table, it will be fortunate for them that they were 
born into a home where such excellent habits prevail. 

Divorce and Remarriage 

The divorce question is well summed up by our Savior in 
answer to a question put to Him by the Pharisees (Matt. 19: 
7-9). Having said, "What therefore God hath joined together, 
let not man put asunder," He was instantly confronted with the 
question, "Why did Moses then command to give a writing of 
divorcement?" The answer ought to be studied by every one, 
especially every minister of the Gospel and every judge upon the 
bench. "He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness 
of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from 
the beginning it was not so." This brings us to the foundation 
of the question. Let us therefore hear what the Bible has to 
say about it. There is nothing so conclusive on any question as 
the Word of God direct. Therefore, let us open our Bibles and 
hear 

What God Says. — "What therefore God hatih joined 
together, let not man put asunder" (Matt. 19:6; Mark 10:9). 

"The wife is bound by the law as long as the husband 
liveth" (I Cor. 7:39; Rom. 7:2, 3). 



MARRIAGE 451 

"Let not the wife depart from her husband : but and if 
she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her 
husband" (I Cor. 7:10, 11). 

"Whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth 
adultery" (Matt. 5:32; 19:9; Luke 16:18). 

"Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, 
committeth adultery" (Luke 16:18; Mark 10:11). 

"If a woman shall put away her husband, and be married 
to another, she committeth adultery " (Mark 10:12). 

"Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for 
fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery" 
(Matt. 19:9). 

Here we have seven plain, positive Bible declarations. 
Concerning the first six, there can be no question about the 
meaning of the language. You read them, and you can get 
but one meaning — exactly what they say. That ought to 
convince every one as to what the will of God is concerning 
divorce. But in the seventh quotation there is a qualifying* 
clause, "except it be," which has caused many people to 
question the teaching of the first six quotations. As this 
constitutes the famous "single exception," we shall notice that 
at some length. 

Many have construed Matt. 5 :32 and Matt. 19 :9 to mean 
that for the single cause of fornication it is permissible for a 
man to get a divorce from his companion and marry another 
while the former companion lives. The most that can be made 
out of this position is a positive conflict between these two 
verses and the other six quoted, for the other six will not 
admit of any construction like that. So you would be called 
upon to choose between six positive statements on one side and 
two doubtful statements on the other side. In such case, which 
would you choose, the two or the six? But the Bible is not a 
book of contradictions. If we are looking for harmony, we 
can find it on the question of divorce as well as on any other 
question. If it is harmony that we want it is not hard to 
harmonize the "except it be" of Matthew with the "against 
her" of Mark. That is, if a man divorces an adulterous wife 



452 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

he can not /'cause her to commit adultery," for she is already 
guilty of that sin; but it does not say that a remarriage under 
such circumstances would render void all the other scriptures 
quoted. It does not give him the privilege to marry again 
while his former companion lives, even though she be an 
adulteress, for then it would debar her from the privilege of 
making restitution according to I Cor. 7:10, 11. 

Conclusions. — A careful examination of the above scrip- 
tures establishes the following truths: 

1. When one man and one woman become "one flesh" 
they are united for life. 

2. No man, not even the judge upon the bench, nor the 
pontiff in the Vatican, has a right to nullify the union. 

3. It was because of the degraded condition of fallen 
man that Moses permitted man to give a writing of divorce- 
ment, but it was not so in the beginning, neither is it under the 
Gospel. (Polygamy could be defended on the same grounds as 
divorce and remarriage.) 

4. For fornication a companion may be put away. 

5. Such are commanded to remain unmarried until a 
reconciliation can be effected. 

6. To marry a divorced person is committing adultery. 
The last conclusion is of necessity true, because no one 

who is "one flesh" with wife No. 1 can live as a life companion 
with wife No. 2 without living in adultery. Therefore whoever 
lives with wife No. 2 while wife No. 1 is still alive lives in 
adultery. 

Our position on the question of divorce and remarriage 
should be clear and emphatic for this reason: As already seen 
there are a number of scriptures which are clear and emphatic 
against such marriages, while there is no scripture clearly in 
their favor. Why cast away something that is clear and build 
on something that is not clear? 

YYe are aware that in connection with the question under 
consideration, are many and varied circumstances, and many 
people have been perplexed because of the sympathy they have 
felt for others. Human sympathy is not to be lightly esteemed ,i 



MARRIAGE 453 

but here are scriptures which are plain and positive, and no one 
who loves God and human souls should substitute sympathy for 
Bible. God is perfect in sympathy; yet that will not keep ( 
Him, in the day of judgment, from saying the words which 
will remind the millions of the then irredeemable souls of their 
certain and eternal doom. When we are confronted with plain 
Scripture we want to take God at His Word and tell the people 
what the Word teaches. Tell the people the straight truth so 
far as God has revealed it to you, and let all the guilty ones 
know that the only sympathy which will avail them anything is 
the mercy of God which comes to all who take Him at His 
Word and trust His pardoning grace. 

The divorce dockets of our land tell of the awful story of 
what it means to trifle with the sacred institution of marriage. 
Man's impious assumption of the power to "put asunder" that 
which "God hath joined together" has made marriage a farce in 
many places and degraded that holy ordinance into a mere 
convenience or business transaction. Thus through legalized 
prostitution the doors are swung open for the destroyer to 
invade the sanctity of the home and rob the human family of 
the virtue that still remains. Let the Church of God awake and 
sound the voice of warning far and wide, for "whatsoever a 
man (or nation, or home, or church) soweth, that shall he also 
reap." 

What to Teach Our Young People 
Our Responsibility — There rests upon parents and 
teachers a weighty responsibility with reference to teaching 
the marriage question to the rising generation. Let those who, 
are minded to speak of marriage in a frivolous way remember 
that next to salvation it is the most important thing that can be 
named and deserves our most thoughful and serious consider- 
ation. Nor should we wait with our instructions until young 
people are about ready, or think they are ready, to enter its 
sacred relations. Let the question, like the question of salva- 
tion, be freely discussed in the home circle or wherever it can f 
be appropriately done. Let the Bible teaching on the subject 
be known to all, from childhood up. Let there be a conscience) 



454 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

developed early in life, and our young people will not be so 
liable to be guided by blind infatuation in the choice of life 
companions. Here are a few things for the consideration of 
our young people: 

Timely Precepts. — 1. Do not treat the subject of 
marriage lightly. Next to regeneration, it is the most important 
event in your lives. 

2. The question is of such great importance that no one 
should attempt the choice of a life companion until full 
maturity of body has brought ripeness in judgment. 

3. About three-fourths of the .books and papers purport- 
ing to make the subject of social purity a specialty should be 
discarded because of their sensationalism and sensuality. 

4. It is better to enjoy the society of the opposite sex than 
to be confined exclusively to your own, even though you are 
not seriously concerned in the choice of a life companion. But 
it is not right that you should monopolize the time of any one 
of the opposite sex for any great length of time unless you are 
seriously considering your adaptability for life-companionship, 

5. It is usually from among their associates that young 
people select their life companions. Therefore exercise great 
care that the right kind of associations are formed. 

6. Think of no one in connection with life-companionship 
unless such person is in harmony with your views of religion 
and life plans generally. 

7. Never form the habit of keeping special company with 
any one of the opposite sex who would not be suitable to 
consider in connection with life-companionship should your 
minds be drawn that way. Loose society ties often culminate 
in disastrous family bondage. 

8. Avoid personal associations with persons of the oppo- 
site sex who are known to be of questionable character; that 
is, with such an one and yourself in company by yourselves. 
You may be pure as the morning dew. If you wish to remain 
such, remember that "evil communications corrupt good man- 
ners." Among the best advices ever given is the precept, 
"Abstain from all. appearance of evil." 



MARRIAGE 455 

9. Avoid undue familiarity with persons of the opposite 
sex. Let your bearing toward each other be dignified, manly, 
womanly, with no personal contact which suggests impurity. 
If when in the parlor by yourselves you assume positions that 
you would be ashamed for people to see you in, it is proof that 
you need to reform your personal habits. The best way to 
remain pure is to keep the mind filled with pure thoughts, at 
the same time shutting out all avenues to. impurity. 

10. While children should do their own choosing they 
should remember that as a rule parents are their best friends 
and safest counsellors. 

11. The safest order in courtship is prayer, reason, affec- 
tions. Reverse the order, and the first two are liable to be lost 
sight of. Unless the first two tests can be made, the third 
should not be permitted to begin. 

12. It is well to leave "man-haters" or "woman-haters" 
alone in their solitary hatred. When one professes to be a 
hater of the opposite sex it either shows an abnormal condition 
or an attempt to conceal an ardent desire to get married. 

13. Never get the idea that a promise to marry is a 
license for one of the opposite sex to take undue liberties with, 
your person. Remember that a promise to marry is not 
marriage. One of your best reasons to be satisfied with your 
engagement is the fact that your intended acts the part of a 
real gentleman or a real lady. 

14. If your intended needs reformation, such as swearing, 
drinking, smoking, chewing, gambling, etc., be sure that there 
is not only reformation but genuine conversion before marriage. 
The man who thinks more of a bad habit than of a woman is 
unworthy of a woman's love. 

15. Never marry a "chance." If you do, the chances are 
that you have married a failure. Better remain unmarried all 
your life than to marry one who will make your life a failure 
or your posterity a race of unbelievers. 

16. The Spirit's guidance can be trusted in the marriage 
question. The one whose trust is placed wholly in the Lord 
will always be led into the place where God can through his or 



456 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

her instrumentality accomplish the greatest amount of good in 
His service. Whether that means a married or a single life, it 
means a larger life, a more useful and happy life, greater 
achievements and a life more pleasing to God than if you had 
taken things into your own hands. That does not mean, 
however, that you should not use your intelligence and exercise 
good, common sense in deciding upon opportunities and making 
your choice. 



PART VI 



Christian Principles 

Duties and Restrictions 



CHAPTERS 

I OBEDIENCE Geo. R. Brunk 

II SELF-DENIAL S. F. Cofrman 

III WORSHIP . Paul E. Whitmer 

IV PERSONAL WORK S. E. Allgyer 
V NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD J. R. Shank 

VI NONRESISTANCE Jacob N. Brubacher 

VII SWEARING OF OATHS Geo. R. Brunk 

VIII SECRET SOCIETIES J. E. Hartzler 

IX LIFE INSURANCE D. D. Miller 



CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

The daily life of the Christian is governed by the rule of 
right. Principle, not expediency, determines his course in 
life. Obligations of a positive character appeal to us as du- 
ties, while those of a negative* character are known as re- 
strictions. The former class may all be grouped under the 
four heads: (1) Obedience, (2) Self-denial, (3) Worship, 
(4) Christian Service. 

The restrictions, enjoined by Scripture, may be stated as 
follows : 

1. God's people, as a "peculiar people," "unspotted 
irom the world," can not consistently be conformed to this 
sinful world in anything. The application of this principle to 
the outward life is known as Nonconformity to the World. 

2. God's people are a peaceable people the weapons of 
whose warfare are not carnal, and who according to the 
testimony of our Savior do not fight. This peculiarity is 
known to the world as Nonresistance. 

3. God's people are a free and truthful people, and need 
not be sworn to bind them to the truth. Because of our 
Savior's admonition, "Swear not at all," they are conscien- 
tiously opposed to the Swearing of Oaths. 

4. God's people are a pure and open-hearted people, 
free from the unequal yoke with unbelievers, walking in the 
light, hating fellowship with works of darkness, hence can 
not consistently hold membership in Secret Societies. 

5. God's people are a trustful people, believing the 
many promises of God to care for His own, knowing that 
God alone can insure life, and that "it is better to trust in 
the Lord than to put confidence in man" Hence the incon- 
sistency in them having anything to do with Life Insurance. 

May we who' have named the name of Christ obey God 
fully in all things, deny ourselves of all that stands as a 
hindrance to the welfare of the cause, worship God in spirit 
and in truth, and serve Him faithfully until He bids us 
"Come up higher." 



CHAPTER I 
OBEDIENCE 

Thus saith the Lord of hosts. . . . Obey my 
voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my 
people. — Jer. 7:21,23. 

General Observations 

Its Ground. — God is the Creator of all things visible and 
invisible, the Redeemer of mankind, thus manifesting power, 
wisdom, and love which qualify Him to govern, establishing 
a double claim to the worshipful obedience of every intelli- 
gent human being. Isa. 43:1. 

Xot only does God have the right and qualifications to 
govern His creatures, but His eternal justice makes it im- 
possible for Him to ignore them or to allow virtue to go un- 
rewarded and vice to go unpunished. 

"Fear God, and keep his commandments : for this is the 
whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into 
judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or 
whether it be evil" (Eccl. 12:13, 14). 

Its Standard. — Sin having blinded the mind of man 
(Rom. 1:21) and corrupted the human heart (Jer. 17:9), it 
has set a double barrier in the way of obedience, which ne- 
cessitates a divine revelation, both plain and perfect, adapted 
to the environments of this life, and clothed with power to 
raise mankind from the depths of sin into conformity to the 
image of Christ. 

Such a standard we have in the Holy Scriptures, which 
•supply "all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (II 
Pet. 1:3), "that the man of God may be perfect, throughly 
furnished unto all good works" (II Tim. 3:17. See also II 
Cor. 3:18). 



460 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Its Harmony. — We have in the unchanging harmony of 
the heavenly bodies which, bending to some great central 
sun without jar or collision and unaffected by the tumults of 
earth or the tempests of thousands of years, are still travel- 
ing their stupendous circuits from age to age, at least a faint 
picture of the harmony, grandeur, and glory of that great 
world where intelligences as numberless as the sands, from 
archangel to the humblest of the redeemed, gladly bend to 
the Supreme AA^ill, reverencing and serving through endless 
ages. Rev. 5:9-12; 19:6,7. 

Its Importance. — True Gospel obedience is not simply a 
convenience which may be dispensed with at will, as some 
seem to think, but it is an essential to salvation without 
which there is no promise. "Not every one that saith unto 
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but 
he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" 
(Matt. 7:21). "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the 
things which I say" (Luke 6:46) ? "Ye are my friends, if ye do 
whatsoever I command you" (Jno. 15:14). "The Lord Jesus 
shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in 
flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, 
and that obey not the Gospel" (II Thes. 1:7, 8). 

While Christian obedience cannot merit heaven, the lack 
of it is conclusive evidence that the benefits of the atonement 
have not been received, whatever may be the claims of faith 
and love. "They profess that they know God; but in 
works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, 
and unto every good work reprobate" (Tit. 1 :16). 

Faith and love will always wither and die under the 
blighting influence of rebellion. 

"To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than 
the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and 
stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry" (I Sam. 15:22, 23). 

The teaching that obedience has nothing to do with the 
believer's safety is certainly a doctrine of Satan and is as 
dangerous as it is popular. The elect are so "through sancti- 



OBEDIENCE 461 

fication of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the 
blood of Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 1:2). 

A Right Obedience 

Definition. — True Gospel obedience signifies a full sub- 
mission to God in all things ; not only an outward observ- 
ance of commands and restrictions, but also an attitude of 
submissiveness in which God's will is held to be supreme 
and is unreservedly embraced. Rom. 6:17; Heb. 13:21. 

Not by Nature. — By reason of the fall of man the divine 
image was lost and the image of Satan in a marked degree 
has been stamped upon the race, so that by nature there- is 
in the heart of man a strong inclination for that which is 
evil and a distaste for that which is holy. Gen. 8 :21. This 
in early life develops into active rebellion against the au- 
thority of God. 

It is not only true that men by nature are not subject to 
God, but ''neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7). 

The evils of the life are declared to be an index to the 
heart, and self-righteousness but a cloak for corruption. 
Matt. 7:15, 16. 

Prerequisites. — By recognizing his corruptions that unfit 
him for the kingdom of God and his weakness which makes 
it impossible for him to deliver himself from sin and Satan, 
and by stretching out his hands sincerely to the Christ who 
came to save, the sinner is brought under the benefits of the 
atonement; and through the Word of God and the power of 
the Holy Spirit he experiences such a complete change in 
heart and life that not only the outward conduct is brought 
into harmony with the Word of God, but every thought may 
be brought into captivity to the "obedience of Christ" (II 
Cor. 10:5. See also Luke 18:13, 14; Col. 1:10-14). 

Righteousness can not be attained by the unconverted 
in "imitation of Christ," but must be obtained by total sub- 
mission to Him through whom the divine nature is imparted 
and the "flesh" subdued. Rom. 9:31, 32; II Pet. 1:4. 



462 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Without Christ nothing can be done that will be accept- 
able to God (Jno. 15 :5) and all efforts at righteousness are 
in vain, being but "dead works" (Heb. 9:14) and "filthy 
rags" (Isa. 64:6). 

Through Christ, however, perfect victory can be had by 
all who with proper love, earnestness and zeal "press the 
battle to the gates." "I can do all things through Christ 
which strengthened me" (Phil. 4:13. See also Rev. 3:21). 
Ignorance of these two great facts — that effort without 
Christ cannot succeed and that effort with Christ cannot fail 
— brings great advancement to the kingdom of Satan and 
great hindrance to the work of God. 

Neglecting the means of grace brings "leanness of soul" 
and unfits one for. the great struggle against the world, the 
flesh, and the devil. '"Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, 
nor the power of God" (Matt. 22:29). 

Christian Perfection. — The highest standard given in the 
Bible makes provisions for imperfections in man in knowl- 
edge, understanding , and judgment, both in reference to the 
Word of God and the affairs of life. "He knoweth our frame; 
and remembereth that we are dust" (Psa. 103:14). 

Where there is the proper inward submission of the 
heart to God and an outward performance suitable thereto 
(commensurate with the knowledge and spiritual power re- 
sulting from pure motives and sincere seeking) the soul is 
kept under the ever cleansing blood, and unintentional errors 
like those of children are not imputed to the Christian. "If 
we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship 
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son 
cleanseth us from all sin" (I Jno. 1:7), thus enabling poor, 
fallible creatures of the dust to become "blameless and harm- 
jess, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crook- 
ed and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in 
the world" (Phil. 2:15). 

The atonement covers all in the Christian that does not 
involve evil motives; but premeditated evil brings the soul 



OBEDIENCE 463 

under condemnation, and such soul, without repentance, is- 
debarred from heaven. 

"They do alway err in their heart; and they have not 
known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not 
enter into my rest" (Heb. 3:10, 11). 

Partial Obedience 

So perfect is the Word of God that Jesus declared that 
' not one jot or tittle of it can fail. Matt. 5 :18. Again He 
says, "The scripture cannot be broken" (Jno. 10:35). He 
rebuked the Pharisees for making void God's command- 
ments. Mark 7:13. 

So accurate is the Word of God; and so fully inspired 
by God, that the Savior in reasoning with the Sadducees 
proved the great doctrine of the immortality of the soul by 
the tense of a verb (Luke 20:37, 38) while the apostle Paul 
demolishes the false claims of the Jewish nation to redeem- 
ing power and proves the Messiahship of Christ by the num- 
ber of a noun (Gal. 3:16). 

Setting up our fallible judgment against the expressed 
will of God is no slight offense. Even in such small matters 
as picking up sticks on the Sabbath and the mode of trans- 
porting furniture of the tabernacle the severest punishment 
was brought upon those who thus presumptuously sinned. 
Num. 15:30-36; IChron. 13:9, 10; 15:13. 

"Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things 
which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Gal. 
3:10). "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I 
have commanded you : and, lo, I am with you alway, even 
unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:20). "A prophet shall 
the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like 
unto me ; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall 
say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul,. 
which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from a- 
mong the people" (Acts 3:22, 23). It is certainly a mingling 
of pride and folly in the face of such scriptures to speak of 



464 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

inspired "nonessentials" and thus attempt to eliminate from 
the Gospel such things as are not pleasing to the flesh. 

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also 
in much : and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in 
much" (Luke 16:10). 

To knowingly and intentionally disobey one command- 
ment requires a rebellious heart, exactly the same as to vio- 
late all. Jas. 2:10. He who breaks one link also breaks the 
chain. It is rebellion that unfits for the kingdom of God, 
and this is manifested oftener, perhaps, in little things than 
in great transgressions. 

Once turned from the holy commandment, the descent 
is easy and rapid from neglecting (Heb. 2:3) to refusing 
(Heb. 12:25), and from -refusing to despising (Heb. 10:28, 29). 

Willful Ignorance. — In reference to divine knowledge 
we are enjoined to desire it as milk to "new born babes" 
(I Pet. 2:2), to hunger and thirst after it (Matt. 5:6), to pray 
and study (II Tim. 2:15). These conditions being fulfilled 
we have the promise of God's assistance and due allozvance 
for imperfections arising from a lack of knowledge. I Jno. 
1:7. 

If we purposely close our eyes to the Gospel light which 
God has caused to beat upon our faces from the very throne, 
we must take our places with the "willingly ignorant" (II 
Pet. 3 :4, 5) whose eyes have been closed by the god of this 
world. II Cor. 4:4. 

He who shuns truth shuns God, cannot be an acceptable 
worshiper, and is therefore qualified for neither service nor 
heaven. 

Formality. — There is a false obedience which is either 
ignorant or neglectful of religion in the heart, and like the 
Pharisees of old continually busy about the externals of 
religion, developing a very complicated system, holding wi f h 
determination to the form of godliness but destitute of the 
inner poive)'. While the forms of religious service have their 
place and power, they are vain unless supported by the im- 



OBEDIENCE 465 

pulses of a renewed heart. They who put their religion in 
form are only partly obedient. "Being dead wherein we were 
held, we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the 
♦oldness of the letter" (Rom. 7:6). 

Difficulties do not Excuse. — There are no combinations 
•of circumstances that can produce difficulties and dangers so 
grave as to justify the Christian in violating the principles of 
the Gospel and the Word of God. We have abundant testi- 
mony that God expects His people to obey Him and suffer 
the consequences, whether it be praise and honor and riches 
•on earth or persecution and poverty and death. Matt. 5:11 ; 
10:39; II Tim. 3:12. Xo one can harm the Christian save 
:as God permits, and if it is His will that we should suffer it 
is enough. Matt. 26:42. 

Imperfect Understanding. — There may be a wrong un- 
derstanding of God's Word in important points, even after 
the will is in subjection to God and the heart renewed by 
His grace. In such cases, even if the soul is safe, there will 
be a note of discord in the life which hinders in some degree 
the usefulness of the individual and the progress of the king- 
«dom. 

God will lead the faithful on to fuller light as they are 
willing and able to walk in it (Phil. 3:15; Jno 7:17) but will 
leave the insincere to blindness (II Thes. 2:11, 12). 

The worldly wise, posing as learned expounders of God's 
Word, magnifying the power of intellect and reason at the 
'expense of spirituality and divine illumination, set up false 
standards through misinterpretations, thus leading many 
sincere souls from the obedience to the truth and from the 
^fold of Christ. 

People who have submitted themselves fully to God 
•should bear in mind that, no matter how gifted and learned 
a person may be, he can not know and teach truth without 
the opening of the spiritual understanding which takes place 
in regeneration and the illumination of the Holy Spirit; 
that a sincere, devoted, prayerful life in continual fellow- 



466 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

ship with God is necessary to a growth into the fuller 
experience and knowledge of the truth (Jas. 1 :15) ; that if 
help from fellow men is desired, it should be sought from 
those who are known to have the Bible in their hearts and 
lives as well as in their minds. 

Delegated Authority 

Obedience to God means not only a yielding of the heart 
to Him and the conforming of the life to the teaching of His 
Word, but also a proper submission to all delegated authori- 
ty, instituted of God, which is all necessary for the good of 
men. 

The Family. — First, we notice the relation between hus- 
band and wife who, in reference to favor and blessing, stand 
upon an equality before God. But in reference to authority 
the man is the superior, encircled however with restrictions 
which insure the woman a happy and useful sphere, being 
neither the ruler nor the slave of the man. I Tim. 2:11, 12; 
Eph. 5:23-29. 

Second, relation of children to parents. Children being un- 
developed in reason and understanding, lacking in knowl- 
edge and experience, God has wisely placed them under the. 
authority of their parents, their best and most interested 
friends, until the development of body and of judgment fits 
them to be thrown upon their own- resources. Parents owe 
their children loving and pains-taking instruction and re- 
straint. Children owe their parents reverence and obedience. 

By the example of Jesus we see that superiority in gifts 
and graces does not exempt children from bending to the au- 
thority placed by the will of God into the hands of parents. 
Luke 2:51; Eph. 6:1, 2. 4. 

The Church. — Passing to the community we find that 
God has in the Church made provisions for the government 
of His people, especially in reference to the welfare of their 
souls. The Church bears somewhat the same relation to the 
community of believers that the mother does to the family — 



OBEDIENCE 467 

as she is second in authority in the home, while the rulings 
of the Church are next in authority to the Word of God. 

The Church has authority to decide upon all questions 
arising that affect the welfare of souls and that are not 
•expressly answered in the Bible. Matt. 18:17, 18; I Cor. 
.5 :12, 13. When questions arise touching the interpretation 
of Scripture, the Church is the proper place to go for an au- 
thoritative expression on them. Acts 15. 

Proper recognition of the authority of the Church in- 
cludes not only submission to the will of the Church collec- 
tively, but also obedience to overseers and all divinely in- 
stituted offices in the Church. Acts 16:4, 5; Heb. 13:17. 

Governments. — The whole world lying in wickedness 
(Jno. 5:19), subject neither to the Word of God nor the 
Church, if placed under no restraint whatever, would bring 
unto themselves swift destruction and perish in their own 
corruption. II Pet. 2:10-12. To regulate and to restrain, 
God has wisely ordained that there should be civil govern- 
ment, and to resist this worldly authority is rebellion against 
God. "The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever 
therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God" 
Rom. 13:1, 2). Christians are to obey and honor, not only 
from necessity but willingly, that they may be an example 
of faith and subjection to all rightful authority. Rom. 13:1- 
7; Tit. 3:1, 2; I Pet. 2:13, 14. 

Limitations. — The Bible is the great Constitution, the 
final authority on all questions of law and jurisdiction. While 
its delegated authority may extend to many details not men- 
tioned in Scripture, yet no ruling of man — parents, Church, 
governments — are binding upon the soul if in violation of the 
principles laid down in the Bible. Acts 5.29. 

To despise the various forms of government that God 
has established tends not only to the undermining of happi- 
ness and home, but also to the breaking up of the very 
foundations of society and closing the gates of heaven. "But 
chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of un- 
cleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, 



468 BIB'L'E DOCTRINE 

self willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities"' 
(II Pet. 2:10), 'Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of 
pleasure more than lovers of God" (II Tim. 3:4). 

Results 

Of Disobedience.— Rebellion against authority is a great 
sin that includes all others. It was through disobedience 
that sin and death entered into the world. Rom. 5 :12. By 
disobedience angels fell from their first estate and through 
their subtle influence they have swept unnumbered millions 
along the downward course to perdition. The fire of sin 
having been kindled it has burned all through the world, ob- 
scuring the light of heaven, and leaving behind a desert of 
smoking ruins. Isa. 8:21, 22; I Jno. 5:19. The earth is filled 
with violence and blood and sorrow, pain and death are the 
heritage of all. The cup of sin, though pleasant to the taste 
at first, grows bitter with the passing time and turns at last. 
to wormwood and to gall. 

Death does not end all. The gates of heaven must at 
last be closed against the wicked, so that no ray of light or 
mercy or glory will ever fall again upon their path. In 
language too terrible for comprehension the Bible speaks of 
eternal fire, darkness, and hopelessness. Gifted hypocrites 
may compass sea and land for honor and filthy lucre's sake, 
assembling gaping multitudes to hear them turn the truth of 
God into a lie and confirm the people in their sins. "But the 
word of God abideth forever." There is heaven with its 
bloo'd-washed throng, and there is hell — and there it will be 
forever. 

Of Obedience. — God has not doomed us to struggle on 
to life's end in darkness and uncertainty, or to grope our way 
by the flickering light of corrupted reason ; but He has given 
ns a sure word of prophecy, unto which we do well to take 
heed "as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the 
day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts" (II Pet.. 
1:19). 



OBEDIENCE 469 

Through the obedience of faith (Rom. 16:25, 26) we are 
delivered from darkness, thunderings, and tempest of Sinai 
with the terrible sense of impending doom, to the blue sky 
and bright sunlight of Mt. Zion, where we have peace with 
God, union with Christ, ministration of angels, and fellow- 
ship of the saints. Heb. 12:18-25. There is deliverance from 
the bondage of sin, the dominion of Satan, and the fear of 
death. Heb. 2:14, 15. There is given us "Beauty for ashes, 
the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for 
the spirit of heaviness" (Isa. 61 :3). We flounder no longer 
in the swamps and fens of ignorance and error, but walk 
upon the highway of holiness, returning with songs and ever- 
lasting joy to God. Isa. 35 :10. There is a land where shad- 
ows never fall and where the retreating storms of this life 
will but serve as a back-ground to intensify the grandeur and 
beauty of the rainbow of God's love and mercy through 
which we pass. 

"Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they 
may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through 
the gates into the city." 

Soon the Lord will arise and all His enemies be scat- 
tered. "Let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before 
the Lord." "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is 
your reward in heaven." 



CHAPTER II 

SELF-DENIAL 

And he said to them all, If any man will 
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up 
his cross daily, and follow me. — Luke 9:23. 

Self-denial is the essence of the Christian religion and life. 
Other religions call attention to the present life, and to the 
body by magnifying physical suffering, moral rectitude, or by 
ihe toleration of immoral practices and sensuality. The 
Christian religion seeks to exalt the future life and to glorify 
God by requiring holiness through the denial of the lusts of the 
flesh, and in taking no honor unto the body either for physical 
sufferings or for moral virtues when engaged in the service of 
righteousness, — doing the will of God. The Christian serves 
God for His sake alone. Self-denial is not used as a means to 
an end, as would be the case with heathen religions, because 
Christian salvation is neither a matter of merit nor an attain- 
ment by works. A self-denying life is, rather, a life resulting 
from the final hope which the Christian entertains. 

He that would follow Christ must "deny himself, and 
"take up his cross daily." He that would "save his life" must 
"lose it." The Gospel cross stands for death. Christ thus 
associated the two, and in the teachings of the Apostle Paul 
they are inseparable. Self-denial is a principle of the religion 
of the cross ; it is characterized by a willingness to lose life 
for the sake of Christ and salvation. It is founded upon the 
well known. Gospel principle of the death of sinful self and the 
putting away of all sinful and condemned things and following 
Christ in the power of a new life. 

Scripture Terms implying Self-denial 

As Used by Jesus. — The compound form of the word is 
never used in the Scriptures. The force of the word "deny" 



SELF-DENIAL 471 

is most clearly expressed in the texts,, Matt. 16:24; Luke 9:23; 
Mark 8:34. It is here used in its most emphatic sense,, mean- 
ing to utterly deny. The same form of the word is used in 
Matt. 26:34, 75. With cursing and swearing Peter had dis- 
avowed all knowledge of and association with the Lord, and 
had utterly denied him. A milder form of the word is used 
in Matt. 26:70, 74, meaning "to disown," and expressing, 
perhaps, Peter's view of the denial. But when he coupled 
such a disowning with his cursing and swearing, it became 
what the Lord had told him, an "utter denial." Both forms of 
the word are found in Luke 12 :9, meaning, "He that dis- 
owneth me before men shall be utterly denied before the angels 
of God." The denial of self, then, must be an utter denial, a 
crucifixion, the death of self. 

As Used by Paul. — In Paul's writings a variety of terms 
are used expressing the thought of self-denial. Counting one's 
self dead (Rom. 6:7) the mortification of the members of 
the body, in the same chapter; crucifying the body (Gal. 2:20) 
all imply self-denial. The sacrifice of the body, (by death 
according to the law) is represented in Rom. 12:1 and Heb. 
13:10-15 as an act of special pleasure and delight. In the first 
instance it is a thank offering. Lev. 7:15, 16. In the second 
reference it is a fellowship offering, not according to the 
Levitical law. Lev. 9:8-11; 16:27. While those priests were 
forbidden to eat the flesh of the sin offering burned outside of 
the camp, the Christian priests share with Christ in His 
humiliation by being crucified with Him. In spiritual fellow- 
ship he eats the flesh and drinks the blood of this sin-offering. 
Jno. 6:51-63. In the light of these facts self-denial should be 
the pleasant experience of fellowship with Christ, bearing the 
cross and following Him. 

As Used by John and Peter. — John's view point of self- 
denial is one of the comparison of the values of a life out of 
Christ and one which is in Christ and separated unto Him. I 
Jno. 2:15-17. A Christian's disposition, as well as his highest 
duty, is to love God. Other affections are inconsistent with 



472 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

that nature. Also, the things which pass away are of no value, 
hence should be denied in favor of the eternal ones. John 
teaches that self-denial is both right and profitable. Cf. II 
Cor. 5:17; Heb. 8:13. Peter presents the same idea. I Pet. 
1 :18-25 ; 2 :9-12. It is evident that the plea for self-denial is 
based principally on the fact of the condemnation and death of 
self and the passing away of the present condition of material 
things. The Gospel teaches that the flesh and the world with 
all of their lusts have no place in the Christian life because 
they are under the condemnation of the righteous judgment of 
God. 

The Meaning 

The Common Meaning. — As understood in Christian 
rsage self-denial means that the believer in Christ considers it 
his duty to separate himself from the evils which are con- 
demned by the Word, and which destroy his spiritual life ; to 
deny the condemned lust of a condemned body, and condemned 
world full of condemned temptations. In a practical way, self- 
denial means the intelligent control of one's spiritual life in 
its relation to the world. It leads to a positive refusal to 
indulge in any sinful lust, yield to any enticing pleasure or do 
any act not in harmony with the Spirit, the Word and nature 
of Christ. 

Some Errors. — The teachings concerning the "death of 
self," the "crucifixion of the old man" arid "death to sin" are 
so prominent and essential in connection with the doctrine of 
self-denial that error is apt to grow out of extreme views on 
these points. It is evident that the denial of self is not one 
final act of Christian faith. It is a continual Christian ex- 
perience. If continuous, (and it must be "daily," according to 
Christ's words) the continual presence of sin, flesh, and the 
world must be recognized. The Christian's death to and 
consequent freedom from sin must also be recognized as a 
present and continuous condition of faith which controls his 
attitude toward his present environments until he shall attain 



SELF-DENIAL 473 

to the reality, the consummation of all that faith now appro- 
priates. 

The believer's attitude is decided by the fact that the flesh, 
the world, and its lust are crucified by faith. Gal. 6:14. He is 
dead to sin, although he continues to live in the flesh and in 
the presence of sin and its lusts. Faith does not change the 
conditions of the flesh, world and sin, but it changes the 
believer's relation to them. Instead of having fellowship with 
them he is led to deny them through the crucifixion by faith. 

The inner man is renewed by spiritual regeneration and 
lives by the new law of faith, and should ever guard against 
the error of the deceptive teachings that the material being has 
become changed through that same regeneration. The deeds of 
the body are changed by the control of the new inner life. The 
nature of the body will be changed only when its time of 
regeneration shall come, when it shall put on incorruption. 
Until then the material being must be denied. 

The Fundamental Truth of Godliness 

The foundation of godliness rests upon the submission of 
the soul to God in all things. Whatever other beings or 
powers there may be in the world they may have no place in 
a godly life. Every being and power must be denied and God 
alone magnified. 

In Worship. — The first of the ten commandments is the 
foundation upon which the remaining nine are built. He who 
worships God "in Spirit and in truth" observes the holiness of 
the Law, because it is the law of the One God. They truly 
worship God "which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of 
the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Self-denial is 
a requisite of true worship. 

In Service. — Christ, who is our example of loving 
service to God, exercised self-denial in the exaltation of the 
will of God. Jno. 4:34; 5:30; Luke 22:42; Heb. 10:7. 
God's honor lies .in His possession of every faculty of our 
being and making use of them to His glory. 

In Fellowship. — Self-denial is perhaps more fully tested 



474 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

in the fulfilling of our obligations to our fellowmen. "Thou 
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," might imply neither the 
exaltation nor the humiliation of self; yet, in every precedent 
shown by Christ and the apostles, and in every precept of 
Christian conduct, the neighbor and even the enemy is pre- 
ferred before self. Matt. 5:38-42; Rom. 12:19-21; 12:10; I 
Jno. 3:16. The fruits of the Christian life are most manifest 
in a life that denies self and seeks the welfare and happiness of 
others. 

In Opposing Sin. — The believer takes a positive attitude 
in his loving and serving God and his fellow-men. He must 
take a negative attitude toward sin and the devil, with which 
evils the flesh and its lusts are closely allied. The flesh is 
associated with temporal and earthly things which appeal to its 
lusts, and finds enjoyment in them. Rom. 8:5. The world in 
itself is not necessarily sinful, although it is perishable, but the 
wrong use of it is sinful. The world and the things in it are 
responsible neither for our salvation nor for our condemnation. 
But the heart which allows the world to detract from its 
devotion to God is responsible. I Jno. 2:15-17. Sin will surely 
result from not denying the flesh, the world, sin and the devil. 
Jas. 4:7. 

An Original Principle in God's Dealings with Men 

First Sins. — The first sin resulted from disobedience to 
what God said. Adam denied God instead of denying Satan 
and himself. The first commandment was therefore broken. 
Moses wrote and Christ confirmed the law of all ages: "Thou 
shalt have no other gods before me." Adam did not deny 
himself that which dishonored his Creator. The first murderer 
exalted his own honor above that of his brother whom he 
"hated." We may conjecture his irreverence toward God in 
not presenting an acceptable sacrifice, but are certain that he 
loved himself more than he loved his brother. The first human 
death was the result of self-esteem, and the breaking of the 
"second great commandment" was justly punished in Cain, the 



SELF-DENIAL 475 

first man of the second generation. The "first commandment" 
was broken by the first generation. 

Ante-diluvian Iniquity. — The sins of the generations 
before the flood were clearly the result of the lusts ■ of the 
flesh. Virtue, as well as God, was forsaken when the "Sons of 
God took unto themselves wives of the daughters of men." 
Passion proved more desirable to them than obedience to God. 
The love of pleasure displaced the love of God in their hearts. 
There are three things which they should have denied: Re- 
bellion against God, ungodly fellowship, and fleshly lusts. 

Although self-denial is not mentioned in these early chap- 
ters of human history the elements of this great truth are so 
evident that we may conclude that God dealt with men in that 
period of time according to this principle. 

Embodied in the Patriarchal Covenant 
Abram's Call. — The patriarchs afford rich illustration of 
the principle of self-denial. Abram denied all that life meant 
to him, and left it behind in order to serve his God. He 
turned his back upon land, home, kindred, and pleasure that he 
might have only God before him. By "faith" he made God his 
all. Such a faith is justified today as well. 

The Blood Token. — The token of Abraham's faith in 
God and denial of self was the rite of circumcision. In the 
performance of that rite a separation of the flesh was made and 
blood was poured out, symbolizing the denial of one's own life 
and flesh with all relating to them for the sake of God. In a 
deeper sense it pointed to the judgment of sin by death. 
Abraham thus pointed to his relation with his past life and 
became a figure of the offering to be made by his distinguished 
Son whose life blood was to be shed on the cross and who 
was to be cut off from all flesh. 

Abraham's circumcision represents three facts. See Gen. 17: 
(1) His separation from all his kindred in the flesh; (2) 
giving up his life interests for divine ones; (3) counting his 
body dead (by shedding blood). This covenant was given at 
the time that a son was promised. 



476 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

The Fathers. — Isaac lived in the spirit of his circum- 
cision and under the shadow of the altar of Mount Moriah. 
He sought the peace of God and trusted in His providence. 
He sacrificed his wells and pasture to his enemies and God 
provided him with living waters. The life which he denied on 
the altar was returned to him more abundantly. Jacob lived 
with his life in constant jeopardy by the swords of Esau and 
Laban. Jabbok was a victory at the cost of an infirmity. The 
blood of his beloved son was ever before him. His earthly 
hopes were ever cut off and he died in a strange land. Jacob's 
better things were resting on God's promises and were his by 
faith alone. These fathers learned lessons of self-denial and 
they learned to honor God. 

The Mosaical Teachings 

Man must pause in his own self-seeking in order to 
worship God with due reverence. The demands which God 
makes are right and must be yielded to under the penalty of 
death. Love is the only means of fulfilling the law. Love 
expends itself in reverence to God and in good-will to men. 
Where there is no such love the judgments of God are sure to 
fall. The Law teaches unselfishness and the institutions of the 
law give abundant expositions of the same truth. 

The Tabernacle — That which was resplendent with 
God's glory and beauty and awful with the manifestations of 
His presence and sanctity was also terrible in its declarations of 
power and judgment. The relation between God and His 
people was fully portrayed in the service of the tabernacle. It 
was a place dedicated with blood. The great brazen altar of 
blood and death represented access to the Father in the person 
of the Son as mediator. Every offering brought to it was a 
token of obedience to God. Each living sacrifice approached to 
the altar only to pour out its life. The utter denial of life was 
the only ground of access to God. The altar of incense was a 
place of acceptable prayer only because the incense was offered 
on a coal of fire from the blood offering on the brazen altar. 



SELF-DENIAL 477 

The most holy place was entered only when the tokens of death 
were in the hands of the high priest and the blood was 
sprinkled on the mercy seat in the presence of the angels and 
of God. This "terrible picture of death but emphasizes the 
truth that those who would serve God must follow the example 
of Christ who laid down His glory and His life in the service 
of God and for the sake of men. 

The denial of the world and separation from it are 
represented in the laver, shew-bread, and candlestick. The 
laver stands for separation from the defilement of the world. 
Shew-bread teaches separation from fellowship with the world, 
because those who served in the tabernacle ate only of that 
bread while they served there. They were forbidden to eat of 

« common bread with their friends outside of the sanctuary. 
The candlestick represented the walk of the obedient in the 
light of God's Word and Spirit. 

The Offering.— The meaning of the shedding of blood in 
connection with offerings is found in Lev. 17:11. Death is the 
wages of sin and the only means of atonement. The sinful 
life must be poured out, — must be utterly denied. There is no 
escape from the penalty of sin ; it must be paid in person or 

'.by faith in Christ who gave himself as an offering for sin. 

The three principle offerings of the sanctuary were as 
follows : — 

1. The sin offering. It was made to bear the sin, was 
judged guilty and put to death. It represents the believer who 
has laid down his guilty life at the feet of Christ who bears 
his sin and makes atonement as the priest of God. It repre- 
sents also the denial and putting off of the old life of sin. 

2. The peace offering or thank offering. It represents a 
life poured out as a gift to God. It was divided to be con- 
sumed by the altar, the priest and the worshipper. It repre- 
sented the denial of the world and separation unto God in love 
and fellowship in his house. 

3. The burnt offering. It was cut into pieces and entirely 
^consumed on the altar. It represented the perfections of Christ 



478 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

wholly accepted of God, and our life wholly consumed in 
service through Christ our altar. 

In all of these offerings Christ is first represented, and 
through Him the believer is accepted by God. In these offerings we 
find nothing denied but that which is sinful and condemned; 
nothing forsaken but the impure and unholy; and the obe- 
dience and service to which the life is consecrated is the most 
worthy service of Jehovah our God. 

Judgments. — All of the Scripture, including the law and 
the prophets, were but expositions of the law of the sanctuary. 
The negative commandments restricted the lusts of the people 
and safe-guarded the rights of the neighbor. By the positive 
commandments the people were directed into paths of right- 
eousness. They were under the law of self-denial and under 
the penalty of death for transgressions of it. A beautiful 
example of fulfilling the law in the spirit of love is given in 
Psa. 40:6 (Cf. Ex. 21:6.) The blood-stained door post was 
evidence to the master that his servant loved him more than 
his own life, and the pierced ear was evidence to the servant 
that his master's will was dearer to him than his own selfish 
will and personal interests. The warnings of the prophets and 
the promises in the Word are all based on the truth of God's 
will that men should deny themselves and honor and serve 
Him. Such righteousness glorifies God and brings the greatest 
happiness to mankind. 

Christ's Teachings 
Jesus, who came to fulfill the law and the prophets, had 
two objects in view in setting up the high standard of righteous 
living and making new applications of the meaning of the law: 
(1) He magnified the law and the righteousness of God. (2) 
He revealed the hypocrisy of self-righteous men, showing the 
sinfulness of their lives and the presumptions of their hearts. 
These people worshipped the law and their added traditions 
more than they worshipped God. Matt. 15:6. They used the 
law and tradition to bring honor to themselves, for the Phar- 
isees loved to be called "Rabbi" (Master). The Sermon on the 



SELF-DENIAL 479 

Mount, based on the law, was the foundation of His preaching, 
""Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." None can 
•comply with those teachings but those who deny themselves and 
-exalt God. 

His Example. — Jesus' claim to be the Son of God was 
substantiated by His life. Jno. 5:30, 31. He came to do the 
Father's will and received the power of resurrection as a wit- 
ness that the will of God was done. His nature pr.oved that 
He aimed at no self-exaltation. The cross was a shame to 
Him, but it honored the will of His Father. Heb. 12 :2 ; Cf . 
Matt. 6:10; 26:42; Heb. 10:7; Phil. 2:8. His one motive in 
life was to live for others. He had no place to lay His head, 
yet He sought nothing from any man for His own comfort. 
The bread of His satisfaction was the happiness of having 
brought joy into the lives of others. Jno. 4:31-34; II Cor. 
6:1, 10. There was no heavenly treasure in His possession that 
He did not bestow upon His followers — healing for the sick, 
bread for the hungry, resurrection for the dead — all that He 
3iad He gave to men. 

His Death. — The climax of the unselfishness of Jesus 
was manifested on the cross. He fulfilled what the law . 
typified and poured out His life that others might live. Be- 
cause He loved men He was willing to count His life as 
nothing for their sakes. Man's need of salvation and the love 
■of God for man (Jno. 3:16) were the two claims which pre- 
ceded Christ's own will. This cross Jesus took upon Himself 
.at the beginning of His ministry and under its shadow He 
labored in loving ministry until He came" to Calvary. Jno. 12 :27. 

The cross of Jesus was laid upon Him by the world. It 
included God's judgment upon the sins of the world (Rom. 
5:12) and man's opposition to God. Rom. 8:7, Cf. Acts 2:23, 
36. He gladly accepted the cross "for the joy that was set 
before him." In our self-denial we too must accept the judg- 
ment for sin and the opposition of the world. 

For Believers. — It was not the nature of Jesus nor His 
object to invite persecution. The character of His life was 



480 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

such that it provoked, and caused Him to expect, the persecu- 
tion of the ungodly, and He bore it with patience. There are 
two principles which belong to cross-bearing: 

(1) The believer bears the cross of Jesus, on which He 
died for the believer's sin, and the sinful life was poured out. 
It is the cross of denying sinful self. Matt. 10:38, 39; 16:: 
21-28. (2)- Those who love and follow the Lord are willing to 
suffer persecution for His sake. They are willing to give up 
all of the world's pleasure and fellowship for the sake of 
Christ. 

Warnings. — The Lord took every occasion to warn His 
disciples of the sin of self-exaltation. Matt. 20:20-28; 6:1-5,. 
16; Luke 21:1-3. His most earnest protest against self- 
exaltation was His own example and His command to His 
disciples concerning washing feet. Jno. 13:1-17. 

The love of pleasure and desire for earthly gain were 
considered by the Lord as fruitful sources of evil to be denied 
by His followers. Matt. 6:24-34; Mark 7:14-23; Luke 12:. 
12-21. The love of pleasure dethroned God in the heart, and 
fleshly lusts defiled the place of His habitation. Either God 
and His holiness or sin and its defilements were to be denied. 
No one could serve two masters. 

Promises. — In none of the characters described in the 
Beatitudes is there a trace of selfishness. Those who "seek 
first the kingdom" are the truly blessed ones. Theirs is the 
righteousness of God, and they shall receive from God the "all 
things." There is no reason why a man should make an idol 
of himself to serve himself with treasures, pleasures, and honor, 
nor that he should set the natural gifts of God in higher esteem 
than he does the Giver of them. Godliness is unselfish devotion 
to God and will receive its own ample recompense which is the 
love of God in the heart and all other blessings added.. 

A Danger to Avoid. — To practice self-denial for the 
sake of earthly recompense, or for the sake of possessing that 
grace and call attention to humility of character is self-worship. 
The Lord rebuked Peter for such conduct. — Mark. 10:23-31.- 



SELF-DENIAL 481 

No one should think of claiming for himself honor or merit, or 
consider it a personal virtue, when forsaking the vain things of 
the world and receiving the inestimable gifts of God. Such an 
exchange is a divine privilege, the honor of which belongs to 
God. The eternal and heavenly riches of God bestowed upon 
unworthy beings are a rebuke to him who would idolize his 
self-denial. 

The Apostolic Teachings 

The Gospel as taught by Paul is especially the gospel of 
the cross. Gal. 6:14-16. In all of his writings the cross 
represents Christ, the One who was crucified. This is the 
heart of Paul's doctrine of salvation. It is the underlying 
principle of the doctrine of self-denial. 

In Christ crucified the following truths are declared: 

1. The world is crucified and considered dead to the 
believer. — Gal. 6:14. 

2. The believer is dead to the world and fellowship 
between them ceases. — Gal. 6:14. 

3. The believer's affections and lusts are crucified and he 
abstains from the flesh and its fruits. — Gal. 5:16-26. 

4. The "old man," or flesh, has been crucified that the 
body of sin might be destroyed and the mastery of the flesh be 
rejected. — Rom. 6:6. 

5. The believer is crucified with Christ and is reckoned 
dead indeed unto sin, rejecting its power over him. — Rom. 
6:6-14; Gal. 2:20. 

The conclusions from the foregoing texts are that the 
carnal or fleshly life, the self life, that is associated with the 
lusts and pleasures of the flesh and is appealed to by the 
world and its treasures, is become dead and is put away by the 
death of Christ ; and, that the world and sin are also put to 
death, by the judgment of God, on the cross of Christ. The 
believer then should deny them as abominable to God, and 
consider himself free from all obligation to the dead things. 
The cross makes self-denial the possible, and also the reasonable 
act of the believer. The cross of Christ (Rom. 6:6) gives the 



482 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

believer final victory over sin by freeing him from obligation to 
himself, his body and his nature. 

The New Life. — If the cross of Christ brought only 
death for the believer, then the law alone would have been 
satisfied and we. would die without hope. I Cor. 15:17. The 
resurrection of Christ, a new life, resulted from the cross, and 
is imparted as the gift of God to all who accept the cross. 
Thus self-denial becomes essential to living the new life. 
Rom. 7:4; 6:11; Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:1, 2. If all of the old 
things are considered dead and passed away the believer should 
deny them and in the spirit of his new nature count them as 
nothing. II Cor. 5:14-17. Paul even denied a good life (it 
was not a righteous one) ; neither did he boast of his self- 
denial, for he rejoiced in what he received through Christ^- 
the cross was his glory. 

In the Light of the Christian's Hope 

What is Past. — It is not possible that the condition of 
things in this life will continue in eternity. I Jno. 2:15-17. 
The Christian's hope is associated with eternal things. All that 
he is asked to deny is that upon which God's judgments will 
eventually fall. I Pet. 4:1-5. The things which are "put off" 
when the new man is "put on" are under condemnation. Eph. 
4:17-32; Col. 3:5-11, 25. The things which are laid aside are 
only hindrances to Christian progress. Heb. 12:1. None of the 
evils which are denied by the believer will be found in heaven. 
Rev. 22:15. The fellowship of the world should be easily 
sacrificed for the sake of the fellowship with the Lord. II 
Cor. 6:14-18. 

What is Gained. — The benefits of self denial far out- 
weigh the sacrifice required. The believer passes from con- 
demnation ' into life. Rom. 5:1; 8:1; Jno. 3:16, 36. He 
exchanges the works of the flesh for the fruit of the Spirit. 
Gal. 5:19-24. His new life is eternal, that which was denied 
is death. He appropriates by faith the resurrection life of 
Christ and all that belongs to that life. He becomes a "joint 



SELF-DENIAL 483 

heir with Christ" It is a life of heavenly fellowship and 
light. I Jno. 1 :l-7. 

Things to be Denied 

Self-denial is not a question of religious law as to what 
things are consistent with the Christian life; it is a principle 
which is to be applied in controlling one's relations toward the 
things in the world. God has dealt with the world and the 
things in it. He has set a standard for the believer, and that 
standard requires that he shall deny himself. By that self- 
control all things else will become ineffective in their influence 
and power over his life, and God will judge those things in His 
own time and way. The flesh is reckoned dead, but continues 
to live under the influence of its environments and requires a 
constant denial. "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the 
Spirit against the flesh" (Gal. 5:17). The "daily" cross 
reminds the believer of his attitude toward all that has been 
crucified on it. It is his business to follow only the Spirit. 

A comprehensive list of things condemned is found in Gal. 
5:19-21. Modern sins are like them in nature and should be 
treated like them in fact, for the Word and Spirit together will 
reveal present inconsistencies with the nature of Christ, and 
determine the Christian's attitude toward them. Jno. 16:13-15. 
It is evident that the Holy Spirit will not speak differently than 
the Father and the Son, and His judgment will agree with both 
the Law and the Gospel. Those who walk in the Spirit will 
constantly and consistently purify their lives by the Word. 

Carnal lusts, evil associations, and earthly treasures are 
three sources of evil. Eph. 2:1-3; II Cor. 6:14-18; I Tim. 
6:6-12; Jas. 4:1-10; 5:1-9. 

A study of such scriptures as Romans 14 and I Corinthians 
8 convinces us that there are things which in themselves may 
be right for us, but for the sake of others we should deny 
ourselves of them. Every privilege carries with it the moral 
obligation to exercise it to the glory of God and the good of 
our fellow men. When therefore we see that the exercise of a 
privilege works to the detriment of others, for their sakes we 



484 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

should deny ourselves of such exercise. . In so doing not only 
they, but ourselves also, will be benefited. 

Conclusion 

The doctrine of self-denial is based upon the relation of 
the Christian to the present conditions of life as determined by 
the Word, and character, and work of Christ. The practice of 
self-denial must be perfectly consistent with the nature of the 
Lord, and in a manner which honors Him alone. He lived in 
and made a proper use of the world. He glorified his body by 
a holy life. Heb. 4:15. He fellowshipped with men but did 
not partake of, their sinful ways. Eph. 5:3-7; Jno. 17:11-19. 
He lived among men for their good. Jno. 1:9-13; 17:18-21. 

The unnecessary abuse or wilful neglect of the body is 
uncaMed for in Christian service. The temple of the Holy 
Spirit should be cared for and kept for the best possible service 
for the Master. Jno. 2:19-21; I Cor. 3:16, 17. The neglect of 
business and disregard for earthly possessions essential to one's 
well being, and the needs of the world and the cause of Christ 
are equally inconsistent with the faithful stewardship of the 
vineyard, goods, and talents committed to the Christian's trust 
until the Lord's return. Rom. 12:11. Isolation from the world 
and seclusion from society is an extreme and unwarranted 
practice of the words of Jesus, "They are not of this world" 
(Jno. 17:16), and of Paul's "Be ye separate" (II Cor. 6:17). 
The proper conduct of the body, the righteous use of the world, 
and the upright relations of the Christian with the world are 
the only efficient manifestations of Christian character before 
the world. Self-denial should never lead to the extinguishing 
of one's presence and influence in the world. 

The voluntary abuse of the body and its wilful neglect 
practiced for the sake of manifesting the grace of self-denial; 
the formal and legal restriction and hedging in of natural and 
permissible inclinations in order to deny the body and the 
world, is, according to the Scriptures, pharisaical, and is one of 
the most subtle forms of idolatry. It is the form of heathen- 



SELF-DENIAL 485 

ism under the name of Christianity, and the spirit of Judaism 
of the Pauline age. Col. 2. 

Self-denial must be a positive and progressive force in 
the life of every Christian, for his life is much more than a 
battle against sin. His is a conquest of righteousness. "For- 
getting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto 
those things which are before, I press toward the mark for 
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 
3:13, 14). Denying himself is but the preparation of the 
Christian for his real life in following Christ. 



CHAPTER III 

WORSHIP 

The hour cometh and now is, when the true 
worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in 
truth.— Jno. 4:23. 

In view of the practical religious purpose of the book of 
which this chapter is a part, it seems desirable to pass over the 
historical and theological phases of this subject and to confine 
practically the whole chapter to an expository treatment of 
Christian worship. To do this with any degree of thoroughness 
it also seems desirable to begin with the Old Testament 
accounts of the worship of God by the Jews as a nation and 
the acceptable worship of God by the individual believer. 

Since the revelation of God's purposes appears to be given 
with increasing clearness as we approach the advent of Christ, 
we may also look with a considerable certainty for an increas- 
ing clearness of man's knowledge of God as the time ap- 
proaches when the first great step in the Father's revelation of 
Himself to man in the person of His Son was about to take 
place. The New Testament does not seem to have such 
definitely marked periods of growth, corresponding to the 
patriarchal period, the period of Judges, the kings, the captivity, 
and the restoration; but a careful study of the Gospels, Acts, 
and epistles will be fruitful in showing that Christian worship 
attained its fullness and power on the day of Pentecost. 
When the Holy Spirit came every believer became a high priest 
qualified to enter the spiritual holy of holies, not yearly but 
constantly. After going over this biblical ground it may be 
helpful to dwell on some of the practical inferences from such 
a discussion and to indicate the place and value of worship in 
the Church, in the home, and in the private worship of the, 
individual Christian. 



WORSHIP 487 

Definition. — A definition of the nature and purpose of 
Christian worship may be of material service at this point in 
defining more clearly the scope of this chapter. "As to worship 
in general, a good deal can be learned from the mere word 
itself. It is a contraction of the old Saxon nouns, 'worth — ■ 
ship/ which was applied to a person in recognition of the good 
qualities or worth which he was supposed to possess. It still 
survives in the title given the English mayor, 'Your Worship,' 
as 'Your Honor' is used as a figure of speech in America. 
Then the noun came to be in the verbal form ('Thou shalt 
have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with 
thee,' — Luke 14:10), and to worship was to recognize the 
worth of the person to whom the worship is addressed. TO 
worship God is to recognize in appropriate ways the worth 
that is in Him." 

"In Christian worship there is a double modification of 
this idea. We must have a true appreciation of God as 'the 
Father of our spirits.' 'God is a Spirit,' said Jesus to the 
woman of Samaria, in the discourse which still remains our 
fullest authority on the true character of worship, 'and they 
that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth/ 
The mind of God is manifest in the universe. Force, law, 
harmony, all this is of God. And yet remark the coldness 
of this, for He is thus revealed only as a God for the intellect, 
not for the heart. Therefore for the heart He is revealed as 
a Father. Here, then, is the revelation of God by Jesus, 
which is the very core of our Christian worship." 

"A further modification of the general idea of worship is 
found in the spiritual character of the worshiper. The true 
worshipers 'shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth : 
for the Father seeketh such to worship him/ To worship the 
Lord 'in the beauty of holiness' could never again be made to 
mean to worship Him 'in holy array.' It was not the Pharisee, 
correct in dress and posture, but the penitent publican who 
went down to his house justified. To pray 'lifting up holy 
hands, without wrath or doubting' <s to pray indeed. The state 



488 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

of heart of the worshiper will determine largely the acceptable- 
ness of his worship before God." 

Worship, then, in short, may be defined as "the feeling or 
the act of religious homage toward a deity, especially the 
supreme God; an act or acts collectively of such homage, as at 
a given time and place, such as adoration, thanksgiving, prayer, 
praise and offerings. " 

This definition of worship is broad and general rather 
than specific, in order that it may include all phases of 
worship; for praise, as well as prayer and ritualistic and 
symbolic Temple worship, as well as direct communing with 
God, is included in the term— WORSHIP. 

Old Testament Worship 

Praise includes a very large portion of Old Testament 
worship. The Psalms and their use in worship after the 
building of the temple indicate the general character of this 
praise worship. But even before the building of the temple, and 
even before most of the Psalms were written there are 
instances which show that praise worship had a prominent 
place in the Jews' religious life. Deborah and Barak sang, 
"Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will 
sing unto the Lord ; I will sing praise to the Lord God of 
Israel" (Judges 5 :3). When David organized his people in public 
worship more fully, as narrated in I Chron. 16:7-36, the most 
distinguishing feature of that worship was a praise service in 
which "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised," is the 
key-note. But with the building of the temple praise service 
became a permanent part of its many services. Especially was 
this true when pilgrims returned to Palestine for the celebra- 1 
tion of the Jewish national feasts. Many believe that the 
Psalms of degrees (Psa. 120 — 134) were sung by the traveling 
multitudes as they approached Jerusalem, passed through the 
gates of the city and assembled on Mt. Zion. It seems quite 
probable that the pilgrims also at stated times during their 
residence in Jerusalem gathered in the temple courts and 
engaged in singing the great hymns of praise that are still 



WORSHIP 489 

preserved for the religious profit of Christian people in the 
book of Psalms. The Psalms were the hymns of the Jews 
until the time of Christ, even until the fall of Jerusalem in 
A. D. 70. To this day there are people who confine themselves 
to the singing of Psalms as their church music. Ever since the 
breaking up of the Jewish national life the Psalms continue tq 
hold a large place in the devotion of the Jews. 

Subject Matter of Psalms. — The subject matter of the 
Psalms includes a very wide range. Some of them commemo- 
rate God's fatherly care of , His people in delivering them from 
Egyptian bondage, leading them through the Red Sea, preserv- 
ing them in their forty years' wanderings in the wilderness, 
and finally planting them in the promised land. Others rejoice 
that God has granted fruitful seasons and preserved His people 
from pestilence and war. Again, others praise God for deliver- 
ance from enemies, forgiveness of sins, and the sustenance of 
their personal religious life through joys and sorrows and 
temptations and victories of life. 

Temple Worship. — The observance of the ceremonial 
law in the temple worship and in the personal religious life 
of the Jews was also a greater factor in making worship in 
the Old Testament period real and helpful. The symbolical 
meaning of these services constantly impressed two important 
truths : ( 1 ) that they are now God's people with present 
blessings and obligations; (2) that in the future they will 
receive the Messiah who will deliver them from their present 
bondage into the realization of their great national hope. Such 
a temple worship, reminding them of such a hope, must have 
been an inestimable blessing to the Jewish people. The chief 
contribution of these ceremonies and their religious observance 
was to remind the worshipers of God's Fatherhood over them 
and to prepare them for the coming of the Messiah. 

Prayer. — Of prayer proper, the Old Testament law has 
very little to say. But Moses the lawgiver was much given to 
prayer. Confessions (for Israel), intercessions, and supplica- 
tions are found in every period of his life. There are few 
Bible characters, New Testament as well as Old, who were 
more imbued with the spirit and practice of prayer. His 



490 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

example must have exercised a great influence over his people. 
In the period following Moses the Scripture records repeatedly 
state that intercession was made to God. Whenever great 
difficulties confronted God's people "the children of Israel 
cried unto the Lord." It is significant too that these inter- 
cessions were honored and answered. 

The greatest leaders of Israel's religious life were men of 
prayer. Samuel, David, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ne- 
hemiah were the foremost leaders in Israel in times of great 
crises, and they were without exception men who wrought 
mightily with prayer. What a great blessing if our national 
leaders — our presidents, governors, legislators, judges — were 
men mighty in prayer ! What a quickening of the religious 
life of a whole people it would mean! How the weak would 
be made strong, and the strong made mighty, if our leaders 
were men of prayer! 

Reverence. — The whole spirit and purpose of the Old 
Testament is to stimulate reverential regard for God and 
spiritual kinship between God and man. This worshipful 
attitude towards God is fostered everywhere. Who can read 
the burning words of the heaven-inspired prophets without 
consciousness of the Source of all power and the strength of 
worshipful fellowship with his God ! Who can read the 
penitential, the intercessory, the supplicatory Psalms, as well 
as those full of gratitude to God, without catching the spirit 
of worship! So marked is the worshipful spirit manifest in 
the Old Testament writings that the reader who meditates 
upon this heaven-sent message can not but be drawn into the 
same spiritual attitude toward our heavenly Father. 

Synagogue Worship. — In later Judaism the synagogue 
became the center of Jewish worship. Here the Scriptures 
were read and expounded ; here the Jewish congregation had 
its various religious meetings. Even in the early years of the 
Christian Church the synagogue worship was blended with the 
Christian worship, and Christian worship finally displaced the 
Judaistic worship of the synagogue. Jas. 2:2. For a time 
Jewish Christians continued to attend both the Jewish worship 



WORSHIP 491 

on Saturday and the Christian worship on Sunday, in the same 
synagogue; but in course of time the Christian worship 
entirely displaced the synagogue worship, resulting in the 
Christian worship of the early Church. What were the distinc- 
tive New Testament features of worship and on what authority 
do they rest? To answer these questions we turn to the New 
Tesament teaching on this subject. 

New Testament Worship 

Christ Our Teacher and Example. — Jesus repeatedly 
taught the nature and importance of private and collective 
prayers. Matt. 6:5-15; Luke 11:5-13; Matt. 18:19. He not 
only sanctioned but practically taught the importance of public 
worship by Himself attending and taking part in it. Perhaps 
it would be more accurate to say that Jesus worshipped in the 
presence of His disciples and sometimes in the synagogue in 
the presence of the congregation than that He worshiped with 
others on a basis of fellowship with them. 

The chief emphasis of Christ's teaching and example was 
placed on private rather than public worship — not that public 
worship is unimportant, but that private worship is supremely 
important. 

Christian Ordinances. — One of the most significant acts 
of public worship instituted by Christ is the observance of the 
communion or Lord's supper. This with the baptism which 
both Jesus and His forerunner, John the Baptist, used in 
initiating believers into the kingdom of heaven, together with 
the washing of the saints' feet instituted by Jesus, are the three 
public rites which in a way correspond to the temple worship. 
So by Christ's teaching and practice three distinct but com- 
plementary forms of worship were made a part of the religious. 
life of the Christian Church. They are, (1) prayer, public and 
private; (2) the second group of services embracing the 
Christian ordinances, baptism, communion, feet washing, etc. ; 
(3) public worship, in which the reading and expounding 'of 
Scripture holds central place, accompanied by a praise service 
of song. See Matt. 26:30 and I Cor. 14:26. 



492 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Apostolic Church Worship. — In the apostolic teachings 
and practice these three phases of worship were continued and 
made a permanent part of the religious life of the Christian 
Church. At different periods since then the Church has 
modified its public worship by placing more stress on the 
reading and exposition of Scripture at one time and at another 
time by giving chief attention to a service of praise or worship; 
but the essential purpose of public worship has remained the 
same. But there is one development of the worship of the 
Church that is very significant. Christ directed all worship 
to the Father. The apostles after the triumphant resurrection 
of their Lord worshipped God as Father through Jesus Christ 
as His Son. Rom. 1:8; Eph. 1:3; 3:14. They even went a 
step farther and worshiped Christ directly as Lord. Acts 
9:14, 21; 7:59, 60 cf Luke 23:34, 46; Rev. 5:8-12. The 
Christian Church has ever since continued to include Christ 
with the Father as the object of worship. 

Holy Ghost Dispensation. — With the coming of thq 
Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost there was full communion 
between God and man. God's part in bringing about a full 
fellowship of the Spirit and an abiding communion between 
heaven and earth has been fulfilled. The means for bringing 
about a full and triumphant salvation were then completed. 
Since then the great interests in worship are the practical 
realizations of the divine life in the soul by means of this 
channel of communication which God has established with man. 
Now what is worship to the Christian? What does it mean to 
him, and how may he more fully realize its blessings? 

Requirements of True Worship. — By this discussion 
thus far it is quite evident that worship is a devout reverence 
in the heart seeking a fuller fellowship with God by means of 
a humble, obedient yearning after God and His righteousness* 
To attain this blessed end and to continue in its full enjoyment 
requires the faithful fulfillment of all righteousness taught in 
His holy Word. Among the foremost of these conditions to be 
observed for a whole-hearted worship are a poor spirit, a 
penitent heart, a meek mind, a hungering and thirsting after 



WORSHIP 493 

righteousness, mercy toward and peace with our fellow men, 
and a willingness to suffer persecution for righteousness' sake. 
This same truth is expressed still more briefly in the language 
of Jesus : "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy 
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind ; and .... 
thy neighbor as thyself." In brief, peace with God and man is 
the necessary condition for acceptable worship. 

Methods. — The • methods of worship have already been 
noted in discussing worship in the Old and New Testament 
teachings. The heroes of faith worshiped by reading God's 
Word, meditating upon it, exhorting one another, praying with- 
out ceasing, and doing good to all men ; but more specifically 
worship, whether public or private, means an act of reverential 
devotion to God. 

What it Means to Worship. — The great end of worship 
or the exercise of our spiritual natures in communing with 
God is to become more God-filled. This implies a daily 
crucifying of the carnal mind and an infilling of the mind of 
Christ and the power of the Spirit. It means a growing in 
grace and an overcoming of the world. It means a deepening; 
and broadening of the life in conformity to God, so that we 
can say with the apostle, "In all these things we are more than 
conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded 
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor 
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor 
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from 
the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

Oh, the unsearchable riches of the grace into which 
Christian worship guides all true believers. 



CHAPTER IV 
PERSONAL WORK 

Let us not be weary in well doing; for in due 
season we shall reap, if we faint not. — Gal. 6:9. 

Importance and Need of Personal Work 

1. Among Professing Christians. — This chapter is in- 
tended especially as a help to Christian workers to do more 
effective work in a personal way. It is an evident fact that 
many professing Christians have never experienced real salva- 
tion ; that is, they have never experienced a real change of 
heart, mind, and purpose. Ezekiel (36:26, 27) says, "A new- 
heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you . 
and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I 
will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit 
within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall 
keep my judgments, and do them." Christ said to Nicodemus, 
"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not 
enter into the kingdom of God .... Ye must be born again" 
(Jno. 3:5, 7). Peter refers to the same experience in I Pet. 
1:23: ''Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of 
incorruptible, by the word of God." "He that hath the Son 
hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" 
(I Jno. 5:12). Many other scriptures might be quoted to show 
that church membership only is not sufficient, but that we must 
have a definite experience of salvation. 

The change at conversion of those who come to Christ 
early in life is not, can not be, nearly so marked as the change 
in those who have wandered farther out into sin. But there 
must come a time in our life when we not only unite with the 
Church (which is necessary) but accept Jesus Christ as our 
personal Savior and Redeemer, which brings about the desired 
peace. 



PERSONAL WORK 495 

I once heard a brother say, "I was only a brother, without 
salvation, and had I died in that condition I would have gone 
to eternal destruction." But because he found Jesus Christ in 
the pardon of his sins, he found peace with God and died a 
happy man. 

There are a number of reasons why every soul should be 
dealt with in a personal way. Some may have become 
convicted of their sins, confessed Christ in a way, but still nor 
have been real penitent. Since repentance is necessary for 
conversion, people often need help along this line. Others 
have met the conditions of the Gospel but have failed to believe' 
the promise of the Gospel (I Jno. 1 :9) that the work of 
salvation is actually done, which must be believed if the 
blessings and peace will follow. Others do not comprehend 
what is required in meeting conditions and laying hold upon 
promises. For these and other reasons every soul should be 
dealt with personally that every seeker after salvation may 
really be born into the kingdom, have the joy of salvation and 
a consciousness that his name is recorded in the Lamb's book of 
life. We are convinced that much of the work done has been 
too shallow, not definite enough. 

Personal work should be* done continually, (1) that the 
unenlightened may be led to know something of experimental 
religion; (2) that those who are indifferent may be awakened 
to a greater sense of their duty; (3) that the faithful may be 
encouraged to press on in the work; (4) that they who are 
burdened with care may be made to feel that others are ready 
to help them bear their burdens; (5) that errors may be 
corrected, the wayward brought back to Christ and the children 
of God mutually helpful to one another, strengthening one 
another in the service. 

2. With the Unsaved. — Many of the unsaved do not 
attend religious services, and therefore hear little of the Christ 
who died to save. How shall messages of love be brought to 
them except by personal effort? We have a beautiful picture 
in Andrew who. when he had found the Christ, went 
immediately to bring his brother Simon to Him. Another 



496 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

example is found in the paralytic man, in which case it 
required the united effort of four men and the breaking open 
of the roof to bring him to Christ. We all agree that it paid 
to make the effort. Will we not then do all we can to bring 
the greatest possible number of people under the sound of the 
Gospel? or approach them in a personal way to bring them the 
message of love? Unless untiring efforts are put forth, in a 
personal way, to rescue the perishing, many will be lost! — and 
shall we not be held accountable? 

Who should do Personal Work? 

Every Christian. — Every child of God can and should 
do personal work, even if nothing more than to bring some 
one to Sunday school or other religious service. Mothers have 
special opportunities to do personal work with their own 
children and those who visit the home. Many mothers would 
like to do more active work for God, not realizing that one of 
the greatest opportunities that can come to any one is to bring 
up a family of children for God. Those who are by affliction 
confined to the home may do effective work as friends and 
r;eighhors come to visit them, by giving a ringing testimony for 
Chiist and speaking to them* concerning their souls. In 
visiting the sick for the purpose of giving them encouragement, 
we have often received more encouragement from them than 
they received from us. One young girl, a great sufferer, whom 
I visited gave this testimony : "I am thankful for two things : 

(1) for parents and brothers and sisters who take care of me; 

(2) for the comfort which the Lord Jesus is to me." Here is 
another example of how impressions may be made: A young 
man burning brush said to his employer, "When the fire was 
hot, I was just thinking of hell fire, how hot that must be." 
Such expressions made at the right time make men think. 

2. Especially Those Whom God has Endowed with 
Talents along this Line. — God has endowed some people 
with special ability to enter into the lives of others and 
influence them either for good or for evil. This power should 
be consecrated to the Lord. If vou, dear brother or sister, 



PERSONAL WORK 497 

have been favored with this special faculty, may you use it as 
a soul-winner for Christ. Will you ask the Lord to lead you 
and to show you very definitely where you may be of greatest 
service to Him? May you follow the pillar of cloud, wherever 
.that may lead, so that God may be glorified and souls saved. i 

Conditions for Effective Work 

1. An experimental Knowledge of Salvation. — By this 
we mean the consciousness that we have met the conditions of 
salvation, received pardon for sin, and peace in the heart. 
Without this experience we will never be successful in leading 
men to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Mens 
who have never traveled to Mexico, for instance, may be able 
to tell something about the way but can not give definite 
instructions with reference to the way, and much less about 
Avhat may be expected along the way. The same is true with 
the way of life. We are not so particular as to the exact day 
or hour when the work was done, but we should have the 
assurance that the change has taken place. "We know that 
we have passed from death unto life, because we love the 
brethren" (I Jno. 3:14), and that we are in constant fellowship 
with Him. An experience ten years ago will profit us nothing 
unless we continue to live under the blood and in explicit 
obedience to His will. "The husbandman that laboreth must 
be first partaker of the fruits" (II Tim. 2:6). Jesus asks the 
question, "Can the blind lead the blind?" If we would bring 
others to Christ we must ourselves first be in Christ. 

2. A Knowledge of the Bible. — The successful Chris- 
tian worker needs not only the experience of salvation but also 
a practical knowledge of the Bible. The Word of God is the 
only instrument which God has provided for the salvation of 
men, and must therefore be used to bring about this salvation. 
To use the Word sucessfully it must be known. Paul says, "I 
am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of 
God unto salvation unto every one that believeth" (Rom. 1:16). 
God honors His Word. As the Word is taught and believed 
He uses the same in transforming men's lives. "All scripture 



498 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,. 
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness : 
that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto 
all good works" (II Tim. 3:16, 17). Thus we see that the 
Word fully equips for service; but the right scripture must be 
used, at the right time, in the right way, if the best results are 
to be attained. Read II Tim. 2:15. 

3. A Clean Life. — "If a man therefore purge himself 
from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and 
meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work"' 
(II Tim. 2:21). If a man is to be used of God in bringing 
sinners to Christ he must live a clean life, not only outwardly 
(that which man sees) but inwardly (that which God 
recognizes). One who fails to surrender the last thing to 
God, but clings to some pet sin, can not have power with God- 
God demands clean vessels for effective work. 

4. A Prayer Life. — God honors prayer. James (5 :16) 
says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth 
much." Much depends upon the prayer life of the successful 
worker. Jesus spent whole nights in prayer that He might 
accomplish His work. Then certainly we need to spend much 
time alone with God, that He might direct us to the proper 
persons and the proper work. Special guidance of the Spirit 
is needed in each individual case. Many will try to baffle you, 
and you need the guidance of divine wisdom to know what to 
say. By praying much we will not work less, but we will 
accomplish more. 

5. A Burden for the Salvation of the Lost and the 
Welfare of all Souls. — Again we refer to Jesus as an 
example. He says, "The Son of man is come to seek and to 
save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Witness the overflow 
of His burdened soul as He beholds the wicked city : "O 
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest 
them that are sent unto thee ; how often would I have gathered 
thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under 
her wings, and ye would not" (Luke 13:34)! 

To have a burden for souls one must believe what the 



PERSONAL WORK 499 

Bible says with reference to souls out of Christ — that they arc* 
•eternally lost, forever banished from the presence of God. 
Otherwise our efforts will be mechanical and powerless. An 
infidel said to a believer, "If I believed as you do, that souls 
are eternally lost, I would get a move on me." The question 
comes, How may we get that burden? A living faith, coupled 
with meditation upon the truth of God's Word concerning the 
awful fate of the lost, will bring it. A living faith, a 
knowledge of the condition of man, a knowledge of the Word, 
and of the grace of God which means so much in the work of 
salvation can not but give us a real burden for the welfare of 
all human souls. 

6. An Amiable Disposition. — This quality in the life of 
.a Christian is commendable and of great advantage. To be in 
possession of a sweetness of temper, tender-heartedness, a 
friendliness that wins the affections of others, is a treasure 
for which every Christian worker should strive. 

When and W t here should Personal Work be Done? 

1. In - the Home. — Just before His ascension Christ 
said to His disciples, "Ye shall receive power, after that the 
Holy Ghost is come upon you ; and ye shall be witnesses unto 
me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and 
unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). By this we 
understand that the disciples were to begin work at home. 
It is a good place for every Christian worker to begin. 
Andrew and Philip are good examples along this line, in that 
they brought those nearest them to Christ. 

Since the home is the greatest of all earthly institutions, 
much attention should be given to it. In Christian homes 
there should be a religious atmosphere occasioned by love, 
honesty, singing, Scripture reading and prayer, etc., that every 
member of the family may be brought up under its influence, 
and home be counted the dearest place on earth. When the 
boys and girls leave the parental roof this influence will follow 
them, and strangers within the gates will likewise become 
impressed with it. Xot long ago I met a stranger on the car 



500 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

and he told me how he was influenced the night before in a-, 
home because of the devotions in which different members of 
the family took part. 

The home is a great field for every personal worker. 
Many fathers and mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, do- 
not avail themselves of the privilege of hearing the Word and 
seldom attend religious services, and unless some one enters 
the home with a message of love and truth and uses some 
persuasive powers they will never be saved. Paul says,. 
"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" 
(II Cor. 5:11). The Lord has blessed the efforts of the writer 
along this line. Within the last year I have witnessed what 
I believe to be genuine conversions of persons who would 
hardly have been reached in any other way. Some of these 
were too old to attend evening meetings, others had no way to 
go, others were not sufficiently interested to make the effort to 
go, and still others were laboring under the delusion that no 
one cared for them and that they were not wanted. Visiting 
homes in connection with evangelistic effort affords great 
opportunities for personal work. 

How may this work be done most effectively? By turning! 
the conversation along spiritual lines, reading the Scriptures, 
giving appropriate remarks (this to be done in every home 
where possible whether the heads of the home are members or 
not), followed with little inquiry meetings and prayer. In 
some homes this is not desired, but Scripture reading and 
prayer will hurt no one. So do not be afraid. 

What we mean by inquiry meeting is to inquire of each' 
member of the home professing Christianity how he or she is 
progressing in their Christian life, if they still have a desire to 
press on and become more and more like Him, or some such 
questions. It is surprising how many will confess that they are 
not living true and reveal their condition, thus opening the 
way for personal work. Some are discouraged, others 
disappointed, others giving way under pressure and others 
becoming careless and untrue and therefore needing help. 
These confessions open great avenues for further instructions 



PERSONAL WORK 501 

and Scripture quotations and heart-to-heart talks concerning the 
difficulties and problems of life. Recently I visited a home 
where the sisters had become weak on the devotional covering. 
Soon after entering the home they desired Scripture reading 
and prayer, but only one of the sisters looked for a covering. 
Knowing their weakness I commended this sister for observing 
this ordinance, which gave her the opportunity for expressing 
her views and thus the question was opened for further 
discussion. Before the reading of Scripture the second sister 
had procured a covering. I simply give this as an illustration 
of how subjects will open for consideration. 

The home is the best place for approaching the unsaved. 
This may be done by kindly asking questions. It is difficult to 
lay down any definite rules as to how the subject should be 
opened. Circumstances or the conversation often lead up to 
this point, or direct inquiry may be made with reference to 
their condition. A few suggestions along this line may be 
helpful. The question as to whether they are satisfied with 
their present condition, or if they ever think about the salvation 
of their souls, or if they ever expect to or have a desire to 
enter heaven, may be convenient with which to open the 
subject. If the one with whom you are dealing gives evidence 
of yielding, continue the work until some definite decision is 
reached. This plan should be followed, especially where people 
are sick, old, or can not attend services. II Cor. 5:11. In 
using persuasive powers we need to be governed entirely by the 
Spirit. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom 
the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, 
and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have 
said unto you" (Jno. 14:26). Paul, the prince of preachers. 
was a house-to-house visitor (Acts 20:20), doing effective 
personal work, "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the 
Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord 
Jesus Christ" (v. 21). Jesus gives another example of 
personal work, in the home at Bethany, where Mary became 
intensely interested, sat at His feet and heard His Word. 
Luke 10:39. A noted personal worker says, "If you want 



502 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

to reach the masses you must go after them." Since everybody 
lives somewhere the home is the only means by which all men 
may be reached. 

Another advantage in house-to-house work is that it 
affords an opportunity to find out where and how the people 
live. In many places, especially cities and mountain districts, 
much teaching is needed concerning things material as well as 
spiritual — how to live, how to conduct themselves, how to 
bring up children, etc. Many of these people look upon it as 
an honor when a minister or missionary or active Christian 
worker comes into their home. If the Bible is read and 
comments made to fit the occasion, and prayer is offered 
especially remembering the home and its inmates; if the 
worker has power with God, this work will be blessed and the 
homes greatly benefited. Your people will have something new 
and different to think about, and to know that somebody has 
been interested enough in them to visit them and bring a 
message of love and cheer, will have its effect. 

2. After Gospel Meetings. — Christian workers, includ- 
ing the evangelist, ought to make an effort to get to as many 
of the unsaved as possible after services, give them a hearty 
handshake, invite them back, manifest an interest in their 
welfare and, as the way opens, approach them on the question 
of salvation. However, great care and tact should be exercised 
as to how they are approached that they be not discouraged or 
driven away from attending the meetings. But when people 
have listened to the truth, have been made to think of their 
condition, the love of God and their eternal destiny, they arei 
in a good condition to be approached on the question of 
salvation. In many cases the truth has not been made plain 
enough so that people could fully grasp and understand what 
is required of them in their individual condition. This gives 
opportunity for special instruction along other lines that were 
not presented in the regular discourse. Very frequently there 
are difficulties and hindrances in the way which prevent souls 
from confessing Christ, and by personal contact these difficul- 
ties may be removed and the way opened to make a start in the 



PERSONAL WORK 503 

Christian life. A few words of encouragement to make a 
start in the right direction often gives the unsaved boldness to 
break loose from the power of the enemy, and associates, which 
in many cases is quite difficult. People generally are very 
liberal in giving away all the truth and retaining none for 
themselves — seem to think some one else is meant; but by a 
personal interview the truth may be brought home to their 
hearts and they themselves made to consider for themselves. 

3. Wherever Opportunity Affords. — Paul said to Tim- 
othy: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; 
reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine" 
(II Tim. 4:2). Being instant in season and out of season will 
hold out in personal work as well as in preaching. If we have 
a passion for souls we will find opportunities for service 
outside the home and Gospel meetings. While engaged in the 
activities of life, riding or walking with some one on the road; 
on trolleys or railways, in places of business or wherever we 
happen to be, we should not fail to be about our Father'.; 
business. We can not speak to every one we meet; much 
valuable time might thus be wasted and the cause suffer ; but 
the Spirit directs the Spirit-filled to particular ones whom the 
Lord knows need help and can be reached. By noticing people 
particularly, the expression on the faces of some may reveal to 
us their unhappiness, dissatisfied and disturbed condition, andl 
by entering into a conversation with them we may point them 
to One who can make them happy, bear their burdens, and give 
them peace and joy in their souls. 

How to W'ork 
1. Study the disposition and needs of the person with 
whom you are dealing. How to begin is the first question that 
confronts us in dealing with any one. The first thing to find 
out is to locate him spiritually. What is his hope? Is he a 
Christian in good stadning, a church member fallen from 
grace, or a non-professor? Is he considering the question of 
salvation? This can be found out by asking some such simple 
question as, Are you a Christian? Are you saved? Have you 
started heavenward? Do you love Jesus? etc., that will open 



504 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

up the conversation and enable you to understand something" 
about the case in hand. Many people will not answer your 
questions truthfully, but if you notice their countenances you 
can as a rule determine their honesty or dishonesty. Dealing* 
with people that are dishonest with reference to their salvation 
is very difficult. Therefore a second or third question may be 
necessary. The question, Are you a Christian? is very broad, 
as people differ very materially in their views as to what 
constitutes a real Christian. In the minds of some it means 
joining the Church; others, doing the best they know how; 
others, holding to some secret order ; others, reading the Bible 
and praying some. When such people are encountered some 
more direct question should follow, such as "Are you enjoying 
the peace of God in your soul? or, What is your assurance of 
heaven? or, Are you really saved? 

In one of the meetings which I attended a traveling 
salesman requested our prayers. He said, "I am a Christian, 
but there is something wrong. I do not have peace. I left 
my home Monday morning. I tried to smile at my wife, but it 
was only put on. I have not smiled since, and have slept very 
little. If you can do anything for me I will appreciate it." 
That man claimed to be a Christian but had compromised with 
the world, had begun to drink and was on the verge of suicide. 
Without a doubt his connection with heaven was severed. 
Jno. 15:2. What the man needed was not encouragement to go 
on and do better, but to repent and do the first works over 
again. 

Having thus located your party, your are ready to deal 
with him. May this be done honestly, fairly, and in accordance 
with God's Word. And may we not be satisfied with a mere 
confession only, without the quickening power of the Spirit 
which brings about a change of mind, heart and life. Rom. 
12:2; Eph. 2:1; Ezek. 18:31; II Cor. 5:17.. If we as a 
church or as individuals are to prosper, there must be life and 
not only a form of godliness. 

2. Awaken an interest in salvation. If the one with 
whom you are dealing is careless or indifferent, the first step is 



PERSONAL WORK 505 

to show him his need of a Savior and Christ's willingness to 
save. This may again be done by asking questions, such as, 
"Do you believe that Christianity is real or a fake?" Most all 
will confess that it is something real. That point conceded, it 
follows that it is the most important thing in life. But it must 
be embraced or taken hold of if we are to derive any benefit 
from it. Another good question to ask is, "Do you believe 
there is a heaven to gain or a hell to shun?" and usually the 
confession is made that there is. Then if there is a heaven to 
gain, we can never hope to get there unless we make the start, 
and it is dangerous to delay. Simply a desire to get to heaven, 
will not suffice. "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great 

salvation ? Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not 

your hearts" (Heb. 2:3; 3:15). In this way souls may be 
brought to thinking. If they do not realize their sinful 
condition and need of a Savior, which is frequently the case 
such scriptures as Rom. 3:23 or Matt. 22:36-38 may have the 
effect of opening their eyes. But before using these verses ask 
them if they realize that they have committed the greatest sin — 
or inquire what they think the greatest sin is — then read the 
verses, and prove that a transgression of the greatest command- 
ment must be the greatest sin. All will confess that they have 
not loved the Lord with all their hearts, mind and strength, 
that they have not put the Lord first in all things, and that 
therefore they are sinners. God has declared that "the soul 
that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezek. 18:4). If the soul now sees 
his condition, then prove Christ's willingness to save. This 
may be done by using such texts as Jno. 3:16, Luke 19:10. 
[no. 6 :37, Rom. 5 :8, Luke 5 :32, etc. 

3. // Bible conditions are met, then give promises. This 
is a very particular point in dealing with souls. If Bible 
conditions are not met it is utterly impossible for any one to be 
saved. If conditions are met but the promises of God are not 
believed and taken hold of the result will again be defeat. 
Conviction does by no means mean conversion. Because some 
one has arisen in meeting does not always mean that the Bible 
conditions are met. All converts should be dealt with in a 



506 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

personal way. People sometimes rise because some one else 
does so, or because their sympathies are touched, or because 
they wish to gain the affections of some one else, or for other 
reasons, and may not at all be penitent for their sins. Luke 
13:3; Acts 2:38; 3:19. In such cases it is especially necessary 
that the question of salvation be thoroughly discussed with 
them, so that they may have the real experience rather than 
the mere outward form. If there is evidence of repentance^ 
and the convert is willing to turn away from sin, he is ready 
for the promises. One of the most effective texts we have ever 
used at this time is I Jno. 1 :9. Repeat the text slowly. It 
may be necessary to repeat it over and over again, till he really 
believes the work is done. Show the unsaved that if they 
have confessed their sins and asked God to forgive them, that 
is all they can do and that they must now believe that God is 
faithful to forgive. The moment they believe that God is 
faithful to His promise, and that upon their repentance He has 
forgiven their sins, the burden of sin will roll way, joy and 
peace comes into their souls and the work of present salvation 
is done. Rom. 10:9 and Jno. 5:24 may also be used success- 
fully in this connection. 

Prayers should always be offered for the penitent and they 
be taught to pray for themselves. If the way of life is not 
clear to them, if they are not satisfied because of no evidence 
of salvation, do not leave them in this doubtful condition butt 
continue to help them until the victory is won. This may be 
done after meeting is dismissed or after they have gone to. 
their homes. 

Much depends upon the willingness of souls to meet the 
conditions and their ability to grasp the truth, and also upon 
how far they have wandered away from God. If possible, 
stay with them until peace is found. One of the men already 
referred to in this chapter did not get to the place where he 
believed that God had pardoned until eleven o'clock that night. 
Several months after that I received a letter from him stating 
that he was happy in the Lord and very grateful for what had 



PERSONAL WORK 507 

been done for him that night — saved from becoming a suicide 
and his family saved from shame. 

4. Insist upon the real need of the experience of salva- 
tion, and the necessity of observing the (< all things." We have 
already dwelt upon the necessity of a thorough work in salva- 
tion. Christ says to Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again." 
We must insist on a real experience of salvation, and also upon 
the assurance of life eternal. Experience is very essential, but 
that alone is not sufficient ground to depend upon to overcome 
the enemy of souls, whose business it is to bring doubt into the 
minds of beginners. Since feelings come and go, believers 
should be taught not to depend upon feeelings but to stand on 
the Word. There are three texts which are very helpful along 
this line: 

The first is Jno. 5 :24. This is wonderful for standing 
ground. In it we have the testimony of the Word concerning 
the believer, what God says of one who has heard and believed. 
Especial emphasis should be placed on the words, "hath ever- 
lasting life" This is not a future but a present experience, 
the position of every believer who has met Gospel conditions 
and not wandered into sin again, and the converted soul has a 
perfect right to claim it. Every believer should commit this 
verse to memory. They who fail to lay hold upon the promise 
will not make progress in the realms of grace. 

The second text is Rom. 8:16. It presents the witness 
of the Spirit, bearing witness with our spirit that we are 
the children of God. 

The third text is found in I Jno. 3:14. John says, "We 
know" — the life itself being an evidence- that a change has 
taken place. "We love the brethren," not because we try to, 
love them, but because it is a part of our new-born nature. 
"Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is 
begotten of him." 

Thus we have this combination of evidences: (1) The 
testimony of the Word — Jno. 5:24; (2) the witness of the 
Spirit— Rom. 8:16; (3) the life itself— I Jno. 3:14. 

4. Teach the necessity of obedience to the whole Gospel. 



508 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Since there are those who seek experience only, without realiz- 
ing the need of obedience to God, not understanding the 
requirements of the written Word, it is necessary that we 
teach plainly the observance of the whole Gospel. In our 
endeavor to evangelize the whole world, may we not neglect 
the second part of the great Commission, the observance of 
"all things." Paul (II Thess. 1:7, 8) says that there are two 
classes who will suffer equal fate : ( 1 ) they that know not 
God; (2) they that obey not the Gospel of Christ. John says, 
"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his command- 
ments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso 
keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected : 
hereby know we that we are in him" (I Jno. 2:4, 5). 

"If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." 

Precepts for Workers 

In the consideration of this subject we have confined 
ourselves largely to one phase of the Christian service, that of 
personal work. Other phases are dealt with in other chapters. 
It is a fact that they whose hearts are so burdened for the 
welfare of Zion and the salvation of the lost are not only 
vigilant in looking out for opportunities where they personally 
may be of some help to others but they may also be depended 
upon to do what they can in any part of the work to which 
they may be called. The church service, the Sunday school, 
the young people's meeting, the mission field, or whatever 
sphere of Christian activity may be open to us, should find in 
us ready and willing and loyal supporters, doing whatever we 
can do in any position to which we may by God and the Church 
be called. Avoiding, on the one hand, the aspiring nature of 
those who see in the Christian service nothing but an 
opportunity for place-hunting and, on the other, the do-nothing 
attitude of those who refuse to allow themselves to be used in 
active service, our attitude should be one of burning desire to 
live to the glory of God and the good of fellow men, coupled 
with loyal submission which makes us willing to do, or not to 
do, just as God and the Church may direct. 



PERSONAL WORK 509 

In conclusion, we desire to submit this Gospel summary of 
;advice to Christian workers which should receive our prayerful 
^consideration, not only because it is necessary to maintain 
^proper relations with God but very helpful in bringing about 
.the desired results. 

1. Be sure of your calling. — II Pet. 1 :10. 

2. Let your light shine. — Matt. 5 :16. 

3. Walk worthy of your vocation. — Eph. 4:1. 

4. Be sure you are right. — Luke 6:39. 

5. Be sure you learn your trade. — II Tim. 2:15. 

6. Wear the full Gospel armor. — Eph. 6:10-18. 

7. Endure hardness. — II Tim. 2:3. 

8. Strive lawfully. — II Tim. 2:5. 

9. Work for the restoration of the erring. — Gal. 6:1. , 

10. Seek reconciliation with those whom you have offend- 
ed.— Matt. 5 :23, 24. 

11. Try to win those who have offended against you. — 
Matt 18:15-17. 

12. Exercise wisdom and discretion. — Matt. 10:16. 

13. Improve every opportunity. — Gal. 6:10. 

14. Never give way to discouragement. — Gal. 6 :9. 

15. Labor on earnestly and hopefully. — I Cor. 15:58. 

16. Obey those in authority. — Heb. 7:17. 

17. Be submissive to your co-workers. — I Pet. 5:5. 

18. Be prayerful. — Luke 18:1. 

19. Remember the source of your strength. — Jno. 15:5. 

20. Remember your possibilities. — Phil. 4:13. 

21. Remember the goal. — II Tim. 4:7, 8. 



CHAPTER V 
NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD* 

And be not conformed to this world. — Rom. 12:2... 

Foundation for this Doctrine 

1. The Inspired Record. — We get the word from the- 
advice found in Rom. 12:2: "Be not conformed to this world." 

The doctrine of separation from evil stands forth in. 
Scripture as a prominent message to the people of God in 1 
every age. Before the fall of man there was both good and 
evil, but man in his purity and innocence knew only the good. 
God placed a guardian word before the man and the woman 
(Gen. 2:16, 17) which separated them from evil so long as- 
they gave heed to this separating injunction. The devil led: 
them into the first transgression, which subjected the whole 
human family to the influences and power of evil and its- 
terrible consequences. But God had a plan of deliverance 
from the power of the devil (Gen. 3:15), by which means 
man was again to be brought to a -glorious state of power and. 
purity, provided he accepted the conditions. 

We trace the testimonies of God down the ages and find' 
separation the essential principle in every precept and command. 
Noah (Gen. 6:1-8) stands as a beacon light of separation in 
his time. Heb. 11:7. Abram was called out to perpetuate the 
counsels of God and to set forth the promises of God for all 
time to come. Gen. 12:1-3. Moses was the chosen law-giver 
of the children of Israel; and by laws, ordinances, andl 
commands he thoroughly demonstrated God's purposes of 
separation in His people. Deut. 8:19, 20. When Israel' 
transgressed God raised up prophets who testified against 
Israel's conformity to the abominations of idolatrous nations. 
Christ came to confirm the promises made before and to bean' 



NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD 511 

-witness to the truth. Rom. 15:8; Jno. 18:37. He uncovered 
-the corruption of the world, set a perfect example for His 

followers, His life and teaching setting forth a standard 
.acceptable to God. His doctrine of the separation of His 
■chosen ones from the world is unmistakable. Jno. 15:19; 17:14. 

He sent His disciples into the world with the same message 
.and spirit, and we have their testimony. Rom. 12:2; Jas. 1:27; 

4:4; I Pet. 2:9; I Jno. 2:15. 

2. The Spirit of Christ against the Spirit of the Age. — 
But we must base the foundation for this doctrine deeper than 
the mere statement. We must keep in mind two antagonistic 
spirits: (1) the spirit of the world (I Jno. 2:16; Eph. 2:2) 
and (2) the Spirit of God (I Cor. 2:12). Those who are 
controlled by the spirit of this world are "the children of 
disobedience, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.'' 
They seek the glory of this world and are moved by its affairs. 
I Jno. 4:5; Jno. 3:31. They are blind to the things of Christ 
(I Cor. 2:14; II Cor. 4:3, 4) and work contrary to His Spirit. 
Rom. 8:7; Jas. 4:4. On the other hand, the Spirit of God 
dwells in believers and enables them to fulfill the law of 
righteousness; to know the things of God (I Cor. 2:12), to 
take an interest in them (I Jno. 4:6). He makes them Christ- 
like in character and life. II Cor. 3 :18. In fact, the Spirit 
transforms the life, and places the affections and hopes ir 
heavenly things. Col. 3:1, 2; Rom. 12:2. 

3. The Transformed Life. — This is what every child of 
'God is expected to possess. It is the life that is to be a light 

to the world. It is destined to enjoy an inheritance "incorrupt- 
ible and undefiled" which shall never fade away. Since all 
these things are looked for, we need not wonder that the 
.apostle wrote, "Be not conformed to this world." 

The Spirit of the Age not to be Patterned after 

Since we are commanded not to be conformed to this 
-world (age), it lies within our province to point out the various 
ways in which the spirit of the world is manifest in our time, 
;that we may avoid the snares set for unwary souls. The works 



512 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

of this age are classified as "wisdom of this world" (II Con 
2:6), the wisdom that is "earthly, sensual, devilish" (Jas. 3:15)^ 
In this . order let us testify against it. 

1. "Earthly." — This is that which looks only to the 
things of this world. It is the sphere in which all humnaity 
works and in which the enemy of souls would detain the mind. 
What is earthly lies so near us and seems so innocent in itself 
that it is not hard for Satan to deceive. For convenience in 
discussion we will notice the earthly spirit under the three 
heads: Business, Society, Politics. 

a. Business. God formed man out of the dust of the 
earth and gave him an earthly occupation. Gen. 2:15. When 
man was thrust out of Eden the ground was cursed for his 
sake and he was commanded to eat his bread in the sweat of 
his face. Gen. 3:17-19. The vexation through thorns and 
thistles and travail in labor was a gracious provision for man's 
sake that he might not set his heart on things that shall perish. 
The earthly aim of business is to overcome, as far as possible, 
the plan of God for fallen man to make such gains that life 
may be spent in ease, luxury, and self-indulgence. It is the 
same spirit, whether it moves in the heart of the tramp, the 
sharp trader, the gambler, or the thief. To be free from care 
and to escape the burdens which God has designed that man 
should bear is considered a boon to be sought for by all who 
are pervaded by this earthly spirit. 

Following in the path of ease is the passion for luxuries. 
To be bountifully supplied, to cultivate every sensual whim, to- 
have the means at hand whereby all the tastes may be gratified, 
is to make of earth a place which seems good enough for man- 
without any thought of God (Deut. 8:12-18). This path is 
sure to ''drown men in destruction and perdition." So long as 
our affections are set upon the things of this earth alone we 
have missed the high calling of God's people. Matt. 6:20-33v 

Wrong aims lead to wrong business methods. Self seeking- 
is the author of every device in business which dishonors God. 

It passes without argument that men ought to be honest, 
give a just weight and a just balance (Prov. 20:10), pay value' 



NONCONFORMITY: TO THE WORLD 51.3 

received for things bought (Pr.ov. 20:14), keep their promises, 
etc. Business reputation requires such things in a certain 
outward measure, and men's selfish interests constrain them to 
seek a business reputation; but the Christian standard is higher 
than business policy. Honesty for policy alone will not keep 
men from driving sharp bargains, taking advantage of the poor 
man's necessity to sell or to buy, escaping debts through 
bankrupt laws, charging extortionate prices, etc., so long as 
they may still pose as good citizens. 

Monopoly is a worldly business method. Israel of old 
"laid house to house and field to field" for the sake of 
monopoly. Isa. 5 :8. Real estate men are not blind to the 
power of such a game today. Large business concerns are 
likewise alert in this particular, while small concerns must be 
subject to the larger ones or sell out at a sacrifice. For self 
protection they form associations for buying and selling. In a 
like spirit the laboring classes form unions to protect their 
interests and to use like power in making demands, compelling 
all to fall in line or be excluded. The forms of monopoly are 
legion, both for protective and oppressive ends. There are 
boards of trade, corporations, secret orders, clubs, syndicates, 
etc., etc., etc. The spirit which prompts them to organize to 
accomplish their purposes is one to be avoided by Christian 
people. 

The perverted tastes and ideals of the world call for 
numerous occupations which the human family would be better 
without. But the conscience of the world takes no note of the 
highest interests of man, and considers only selfish interests iri 
deciding what to do or not to do. Gain is the watchword, 
whether the price be men's bodies or souls. Intoxicating 
drinks, tobacco, impure food, jewelry, fashionable clothing, 
immoral or sensational literature, fads of the seasons such as 
valentines, fire works, Easter follies, Christmas delusions, all 
fill the pockets of some and therefore have a place in the 
commercial world. The carnival, the fair, and even gatherings 
of supposed benefit are popular to the business man because 
they furnish a means whereby the world can admire itself and 



514 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

the promoters can draw gain at the expense of popular pride 
and lust. 

The great business plant and manufactory can not adjust 
its machinery to fit the divine law of the Sabbath. The rushing 
public requires train service, mail service, milk service, and 
numerous other services, regardless of the religious privileges 
of those who serve. Time and space will not permit to tell of 
all the forms of gambling, of sweat shops, of child labor, of 
brothels, etc., which in some way serve to keep the business of 
the world in motion. These points may seem too microscopic 
for the optimistic business man of affairs to note. He takes 
pride in the great world of commerce and her magnificent 
organization. But such, nevertheless, is the product and inner 
Life of this great affair. 

b. Society. "It is not good that the man should be alone." 
God saw this in the beginning and made provisions for society 
among men. But with this blessing that comes so closely to 
every human being's earthly existence, there is a possibility 
that many will degrade it to earthly ends only. 

There is a common ground that brings society together. 
Our hearts are fashioned alike, so that we can understand and 
sympathize with one another. Psa. 33:14. 15. There are joys 
and sorrows and needs both temporal and spiritual that would 
make life desolate could they not be shared with fellowmen. 
These fellow feelings are capable of being developed toward 
godly ends or worldly ends. God designed that human 
associations should be a means of lifting all to heavenly ideals. 
All are worshipful beings and gatherings naturally draw *ut the 
spirit of worship, where men and women may rejoice arid 
praise and pour out common needs before an allwise Creator. 

The spirit of the world provides for this nature in man 
through various substitutes. Satan does not want men to 
worship God. Therefore pleasure in earthly things alone must 
be enjoyed with such attractions for rejoicing and praise which 
suit the designs of the god of this world. Worldly song and 
speech which suit the intellectual, social, sensual, political, and 
earthly desires, satisfy for the time being man's social demands 



NONCONFORMITY TO THE- WORLD 515 

If religion is brought in it must be of a kind which mixes well 
with the worldly spirit. These social demands are supplied 
under such gatherings as picnics, play-parties, dances, etc., with 
variations and modifications to suit the tastes of those whom the 
world would attract. 

Conversation is a source of enjoyment. It is the ready 
means of keeping minds occupied in like interests and can be 
used by society to mould character. While it may be considered 
too low to engage in filthy and vulgar talk, there is an easy 
grade of ungodliness in the form of foolish funniness (Eph. 
5 :4) that will keep the mind from noble ends. Gossip also is a 
handy step that can be turned in any direction to suit the 
inquisitive mind. Idle tattlers who speak things that they ought 
not are a source of corruption in society. I Tim. 5 :13. 

It is natural for men and women to seek partnerships in 
society. The spirit of the age is making use of this in infusing 
a worldly spirit throughout the whole. The world scorns the 
danger which the Christian sees in an unequal yoke. II Cor. 
6:14. The idea is to "mix," thus making all better by the 
mixture. The saying, "It takes all kinds of people to make a 
world," will do for a devil's world, but not a world dominated 
by the spirit of Christ. To keep Christianity as an active force 
for Christ, it cannot,- will not, mix with the world in a way 
so as to become partaker of any of the world's sins. 

c. Politics. ''Our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven" 
(Phil. 3:20). This world is not our permanent home. Heb. 
13:14. Christ came to earth to set up a kingdom, but one that 
is "not of this world" (Jno. 18:36). He had no hope of 
reforming the world and its kingdoms, but recognized the fact 
that when He is to come again that faith will be wanting. 
Luke 18 :8. His purpose is to call out a people for His name 
(Luke 1:17; Acts 15:14) who should stand as His chosen 
witnesses "in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation" 
(Phil. 2:15, 16; I Pet. 2:9-11). In the light of such facts, 
what can we say of the politics of this age? 

As we look at the patriotism popularly esteemed in our 
day, we find in that a spirit that is far different from that 



516 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

taught by our Savior. His was a message of peace and love to 
all humanity. His Gospel was to all nations, without respect of 
persons. His patriots were to die, not for self-interest, not for 
the interests of any particular nation, but for the interests of 
His truth. 

Again, we look at party organization, as conducted by 
•political leaders of today. 1 Its spirit is far different from the* 
Spirit of the Master: No party can be successful without 
appealing to the selfish interests of the people. Corruption is 
•found in all parties. Even the best of men adhering to party 
are not clear of the filth which the machinery includes. Vote- 
getters must resort to class favors, money favors, office favors, 
destructive criticism of opponents, sensational reports, ridicule, 
mob sentiments, etc., or the other side will win. No Christian 
can : have part in such corruption. 

But what of governments? Are they not ordained of God? 
and should we not therefore be subject to them? We should 
indeed be subject to governments, but the fact that God does 
Overrule governments is not said that it is right to have part 
in their deeds. God called heathen kings His servants, thus 
showing that world rulership does not mean fitness for Christ's 
kingdom. The difference between the spirit governing tho 
world governments and that governing the Church is made 
evident in the following: World powers bear the sword for the 
punishment of evil doers (Rom. 13:1-5), Christians are not tq 
avenge themselves (Rom. 12:17); world powers carry on war. 
God's children are not to resist evil (Matt. 5:39). 

2. "Sensual." — Sensuality is that part of our being 
which concerns the flesh, its appetites and passions. Already 
we have had much in the "earthly" province of our subject 
which received its complexion by the side of sensuality. 

a. Appetites. When the life becomes perverted in other 
lines it is not strange that indulgence of appetites should follow. 
The appetite is God's gift to man to guide him in the choice 
and regulation of what he eats and drinks. When man controls 
"the appetite it serves a useful purpose ; when it controls man iu 
becomes his god. ■ This can not be indulged in without paying 



NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD 517 

the penalty in ill health and disease. That which unfits man 
for service in nobler and higher things can not be a glory to 
God or a blessing to mankind. 

The drunkard is only a little farther down the scale in the 
service of appetite, only here the poor victim is reduced to 
more desperate slavery. His own life, together with the life 
of his friends, is blighted. He is sold to the power of darkness. 
What is true of strong drink is also true, in large measure, of 
tobacco. Let us be conscientious. We must put it in the class 
of perverted appetites. Those who use it become enslaved to 
its use. To say nothing of its filthiness and the waste of time, 
money, brains, health, etc., the above classification should 
condemn its use. God's children should be delivered from the 
affections and lusts of the flesh. Gal. 5 :24. 

The spirit of the world would have us live as it pleases the 
fiesh if we can. It is, "Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow 
we die." But Christ says, "Take heed, lest at any time 
your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness 
and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you 
unawares" (Luke 21:34). In this spirit the children of light 
will faithfully put a knife to their appetites and cut off all 
stimulants, narcotics, and all other things that in any way 
enslave and destroy. II Cor. 7:1. 

b. Passions. The "inordinate affections" (Col. 3:5 — Gr.. 
passion) have come about through the perverted use and abuse 
of what God has given. There is nothing good in them when 
they- have reached the stage of passion. As in the appetites 
there is a condition where we can enjoy the fruit of the earth 
to God's glory, so there are pure and natural affections which 
can be used to His praise. But all our earthly passions are to 
be mortified. Col. 3 :5. 

Licentiousness is a sensual passion, the result of seeking 
fleshly pleasure. It grows by indulging thought on imaginary 
scenes that inflame lust. It is cultivated by lewd stories, vile 
jokes, and immodest suggestions. The defiled thought is 
further inflamed by nude art, uncomely pictures, sensuous 
literature, and vain fashions. When such a course of education 



518 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

in licentiousness has been followed from youth up, it is an easy 
step that follows when loose and unbridled conduct is practiced 
between the sexes. ' This end is too often encouraged by the 
careless spirit of those who should be transformed by the 
renewing of the mind. "Be not deceived: neither fornicators, 
nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of 

themselves with mankind shall inherit the kingdom of 

God" (I Cor. 6:9, 10). 

Pleasure has become a passion in this age. There are 
avenues to pleasure in every part of our being — physical, 
intellectual, spiritual. We have already seen that when the 
design of the Creator is fulfilled in these things that there are 
pure joys which flow out of devoted hearts which are the 
delight of the Creator ; but the world has made all these things 
sensual, by leaving out God. They would not retain God ill 
their knowledge (Rom. 1:21, 23), yet they make the enjoyment 
of His gifts their idols (Rom. 1 :25). 

Man's leisure hours are not spent in praise to his Creator, 
but the entertainer comes in with the theater, the show, the 
ball room, the pool room, the shooting gallery, the ball game, 
the horse race, the prize fight, musicals, phonographs, recitals 
novels, story papers, and such like. Whatever may appeal to 
the eye, the ear, the body, mind, is used in a vain endeavor to 
satisfy the passion for worldly pleasure. 

Those enslaved by the passion for pleasure can not discern 
between good and evil. If we give diligent heed to the inspired 
Word we have a two-edged sword which pierces even to the 
dividing asunder of the sensual from the spiritual. Heb. 4:12; 
jude 19. To this powerful weapon we need to come. We cat) 
not follow what simply has the sanction of the popular church. 
Find the prevailing sentiment in the church festival, the box 
supper, the ice cream social, the Christmas tree, the Sunday 
school picnic, etc., and see if it is not full of the desire for 
sensual pleasure. 

3. "Devilish." — It is natural for those who are led by 
the spirit of the evil one to bear the image of their leader. 
But the devil is so cunning that as a rule he is transformed in 



NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD 519 

a way that hides his true character. II Cor. 11-14, 15. He 
thus deludes the perishing world to believe that his works are 
good, even when they are plainly bearing fruits of corruption. 
II Cor. 4:3, 4. May God shine in our hearts that we may have 
a true knowledge of the glory of God and clearly discern the 
spirit and likeness of Satan in all his works. 

a. Pride. That spirit that exalts itself above another is 
the master passion of the devil. I Tim. 3:6; Isa. 14:12-14. 
From this spirit all other evil passions spring, and are made to 
appear justifiable to blinded hearts. Pride is that spirit in 
men, angels or devils which God resists. Jas. 4:6. Its essence, 
is the exaltation of the creature against the Creator. When a 
spirit disregards the highest authority in the Universe, it may 
be expected to be "puffed up" above its fellows. 

There is no greater folly than pride. To think of a 
dependent creature who has received countless and matchless 
blessings, taking these same blessings, in the face of the Giver, 
and setting up a little institution of selfish exaltation out of 
them against his Creator and fellow creatures is blind and 
presumptuous folly. Can not He who gave take away? Can 
He not, in a moment, overthrow all our works? Yet the 
character of God is not proud but longsuff ering ; "Not willing! 
that any should suffer, but that all should come to repentance" 
(II Pet. 3:9). Vain are all our boastings; vain all our own 
works, all our life and its blessings, unless we see and obey 
Him who is the- source of all power and grace, and humble 
ourselves before Him as our mighty God and adorable Creator. 

The spirit of the world is one of self-exaltation. The 
world glories in her attainments, boasts of her civilization, 
commerce, learning, and art. Men glory in their wealth, 
wisdom, and power, and make a display of their vanity in fine 
houses, fine furniture, fine horses and carriages, elaborate 
equipments, decorative art, costly monuments, and trumpet 
charity. They delve deep into the earth and soar high into the 
air; boast of progress in philosophy, in science, in art,* and 
in inventions; publish beautiful literature, compose wonderful 
music, point with pride to men great in peace or in war, 



520 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

sounding one another's praises. What shall we say to all this 7 
Is there no value? Perhaps. Much can be used in honor to 
the God of all wisdom. But vain is all wisdom of men which 
leads them to worship self and the god of this world. 

Men glory in their office. They covet places which are 
honored of men, seeking the highest places. Our Savior 
rebukes this spirit, both by precept arid by example. Matt. 
23:8; Mark 10:42-45. 

When men glory in these things there is usually a spirit 
which leads to a respect of persons. This forms what is known 
as caste in society. Standards of worth are set up by men 
which leads them to despise men of low estate. This is a 
reproach upon the Creator, with whom there is no respect of 
persons. "Who art thou that judgest another" (Rom. 14:4)? 
"We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" (Rom. 
14:10). 

Men's vanity is also manifest in what they wear. Society 
imparts its spirit to those in its association. I Cor. 15 :33. 
The pride of life manifests itself in the personal appearance of 
those who have caught its spirit. I Tim. 2 :9. Is there a desire 
to attain a certain estimation in the eyes of men? the dress will 
manifest that desire. Acts 12:20-23; Jer. 4:30. Do we pride 
ourselves in personal beauty? the dress will be used to 
emphasize the object of our pride. Hos. 2:13. Is there a 
feeling of superiority over fellow men? the dress will often 
express the feeling to the satisfaction of pride. Job 10:10; 
Matt. 23:5. 

b. Falsehood. An examination of pride shows falsehood 
to be woven into its very fabric. If pride be the master passion 
of the devil, falsehood is the chief resource by which that pas- 
sion is sustained. "He abode not in the truth, because there is 
no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his 
own" (Jno. 8:44). Falsehood is of necessity deceitful. Its true 
character revealed, its end is at once lost. It must make a thing 
appear true which is not true. All the vain boast and show of 
the world is covered with just enough to make its glory appear 
real, while its whole glory is resting upon a satanic lie. 



NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD 521 

To appear what one is not, is hypocrisy. A lie is not 
always spoken. It is acted out in innumerable ways. We have 
imitation clothes, imitation gold and silver, imitation wood, 
imitation flowers and feathers, imitation superb bodily forms 
improved ( ?) by powders and paints. Everywhere in the 
world of business, society, and politics; in conversation, 
literature, art, and religion there is evident hypocrisy and 
falsehood. We need not wonder that the apostle was inspired 
to write, "Lie not one to another," and ''Let him that stole, 
steal no more." 

Perhaps some day, more clearly than now, will be revealed 
that great masterpiece of all lies — the sham reform and 
enlightenment of the world. Great reform movements that 
better the conditions of living, vigorous prosecutions of gigantic 
frauds, great peace movements, wonderful discoveries, inven- 
tions, and intellectual development — all seem to speak of an 
improvement for the better. I Thes. 5:3; Jer. 6:14. While 
these things look well on the surface, there is an evident lie at 
the bottom, for the world leaders do not accept this truth: 
"Except a man be born again, he can not see the kingdom of 
God" (Jno. 3:3). Read II Thes. 2:7-12. 

c. Malice. Where pride and falsehood are thoroughly 
entrenched love is a stranger and cruel hatred has full sway. 
The selfish man hates all that comes in the way of his pride and 
pleasure. The devil "was a murderer from the beginning." 
His ambition has made him a hater of God and the destroyer 
of all that stands in the way of his ambitions. Though men 
become his willing servants to carry out his mad career against 
God, he has no real love for them. Otherwise, why should he 
inspire them in every false way and lead them to the same end 
of everlasting woe with himself? 

"He that hateth his brother is a murderer." 

This devilish characteristic manifests itself in men by 
anger, malice, blasphemy, strife, envy, emulation, etc. Jas. 
3:14-16; Gal. 5:19-23. Quarreling, fighting, going to law, 
taking vengeance, all spring from the fountain of a loveless 
heart filled with the spirit of the evil one. 



522 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

d. Idolatry* The final analysis of idolatry is homage to 
Satan instead of to God. Those who conform to the spirit of 
the age (which is the devil in the hearts of men) are doing 
homage to Satan. Those who change the truth of God into a 
lie, worshiping the creature more than the Creator, belong to 
the same class. Rom. 1 :25. Self-worship is the chief cause of 
the devil's present estate. All the works of the devil take God's 
creation to make a personal tribute to self. Those who bow 
down to stocks and stones do homage to devils. I Cor. 10:20. 
Idolatry is always accompanied by shocking fleshly indulgence 
without any appeal to truth and virtue. Ignorance of God fills 
hearts with superstition. Signs and tokens are regarded in 
place of the Author of life and power. Omens of good and 
evil are seriously observed. Power is attributed to such lifeless 
things as horse-shoes, beads, ear-bangles, finger rings, etc. 
Fortune tellers, rather than God's Word, are sought for with 
reference to life and blessings. 

Those who are ignorant of the divine life manifest their 
idolatrous tendency by formal observance of church cere- 
monials. Customs of society are considered of greater im- 
portance than the weightier matters of real life. 

There should be no despising of the ordinances of God's 
house, . but ordinances are no substitute for spiritual life. 
God is a personal Being who deals personally with His 
people. He never infuses a charm into any of His rules of 
order, but dispenses His blessings to those who approach in 
obedience and faith. Jno. 4:20-24; Rom. 6:17. 

Idolatry is not limited to those who are ignorant and 
illiterate. Men of high intelligence are often found among 
the idolaters. Hero-worship, self-worship, worship of men's 
works, worship of this age, and finally the worship of the 
devil himself, are not uncommon or impossible with those 
whose minds are blinded by the power of darkness. Rev. 
9:20, 21. Even image worshippers are often highly intelligent.. 



NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD 523 

Protecting the Church against Worldliness 

After taking a look at the spirit of the world as manifest 
in our age, especially noting the soul-ensnaring devices by whicr 
men are led into its destructive charms, we are prepared to 
look with all earnestness and gratefulness at the means given 
to God's people to keep the Church free from all worldly 
entanglements. God has not left us unprotected, jude 24. 
The only reason why any of us are not free is because we have 
neglected the Lord's provisions. Rev. 16:15. Let us examine 
these God-given means for our safety. 

1. Sound Teaching. — The Bible is the book of truth. 
It is God's Word. "The word of God is quick and powerful, 
and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the 
dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and 
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the 
heart." Having such a Word and knowing its effectiveness in 
reaching the hearts of men. let us take it up with courage anc 1 
use it to our eternal profit. 

Knowing the needs of His people, God has provided the 
Church with ministers. Heb. 4:11, 12. How essential that 
these should recognize their true relations and responsibility, 
feeding the flock of God, rightly dividing the Word of truth 
They should not only know the Word, but be faithful and 
consistent in living it. We can not hope to keep out the spirit, 
of the world when those who are recognized as the leaders of 
the Church are conformed to the world in the various relations 
of this life. Men whose learning has led them to doubt tho 
divine authority of Scripture, who by explaining away the 
truths which search the heart make the burden of sin appear tc 
be light, and whose examples lead the flocks into the spirit of 
the world in business, society and politics, and who are not 
delivered from vain pride in all its characteristics, are not fit 
to place over men's souls as watchmen. 

Having a faithful, pure, spiritual, richly indoctrinated 
ministry, it is also needful that the truth be clearly presented. 
II Tim. 3:2; II Tim. 5:1, 2. The Word should be given in 



524 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

the spirit of meekness and love, in such clearness and power 
that the people can not mistake its meaning. Let this be the 
burden of every true shepherd — to know the needs of his 
people, and to be prepared by diligent application (II Tim. 
1:6; 4:1-5) to declare the whole counsel of God, to the end 
that people may understand and be saved and spiritually fed. 
Acts 20:26-32; I Tim. 4:16. 

2. Exemplary and Consistent Lives. — What has been 
said of consistent living among the ministry applies with equal 
force to the entire brotherhood. When members are soundly 
converted, having been awakened by the gracious operation of 
the Word and Spirit, having truly repented by renouncing the 
devil with all his works, and by faith in the promises of God 
have been made partakers of the divine nature, then we have 
those who will be good church members. When every member 
continues to be obedient to the counsels of God and enters 
heartily into the ordinances and regulations of His house, there 
will be a body that is strong in the grace of God. Such a 
church will form a fold of protection to nourish the babe in 
Christ and keep him from the blighting influences of this world. 
I Pet. 2:2-5. 

3. Scriptural Discipline. — God has provided His Church 
with regulations which help each honest soul to keep pure and 
continue to press onward as a light-bearer. The first essential 
to a well disciplined church is that applicants for membership 
are fully surrendered to God, willing to submit themselves as 
instruments of righteousness unto God. When the Church is 
lax in presenting the whole counsel of God, and opens her 
doors to those who bring with them the marks of this world 
and its spirit, it can never hope to make itself a fold of 
protection to guard its lambs from evil. 

With all the careful guarding of doctrine and faithful 
instructions of applicants, we can still not look on men's hearts 
nor divine their future falls. Peter discovered that Simon, who 
had given satisfactory evidence to Philip, was still "in the gall 
of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity" (Acts 8:9-23). 
Such experiences have come to the Church in all generations., 



NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD 525 

But the Church need not sit still and tolerate fellowship with 
those who are openly against God's Word. The Word js plain 
as to what to do with such: "Put away from among you that : 
wicked person" (I Cor. 5:13).. 

There is more in discipline than "taking in" and "casting 
out." True discipline looks forward to the dangers of the. 
future and forewarns the fiock against them. Acts 20:28-31, 
It supplies food from the Word -to supply the needed strength. 
It leads out the flock into wholesome activities. It is not hasty 
to raise the knife of separation when some member shows signs 
of feebleness or disease, but begins promptly its measures of 
treatment. Gal. 6:1. It is questionable if the Church is 
justifiable in taking stern measures in removing a member, y- 
she has not first studied the problems of her erring ones and 
sought to provide proper food, exercise, and medicine for their- 
health. But having looked well to these matters, it is better to 
bear the pain of cutting off a member than to allow disease to 
spread and destroy the whole body. Matt. 18:8, 19; I Cor. 
5:6, 7. 

4. Brotherly Union and Exhortation. — Individual re- 
sponsibility is after all the strong point to urge upon; the 
Church. When I get "number one" to working along rigM 
lines, and succeed in getting all the other "number one's" to do 
the same, we have made great progress in the way of establish- 
ing a spiritual union which the world can not overthrow. "By 
this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have 
love one to another." Such a condition will make each one 
concerned in the welfare of all others. 

We will see the perils of worldliness as a common fpe. 
We will rejoice when a brother corrects us in case we. are 
overtaken, and we kindly seek his restoration in case the same 
is true with him. When differences of opinion arise we can 
yield our way for others in case no principles are involved. 
We will refrain from everything that might be detrimental to 
the welfare of others. We can bear their weaknesses with 
charity, and thus open the door to edification. Rom. 14:1-5; 
Eph. 4:1-3. Our loving union will make us loyal to all. the 



526 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

counsels and deliberations of conference. Acts 15:28; 16:4, 5, 
The chain of love will bind us together as an unconquerable 
band in the face of every foe. Christ the Head of all things to 
the Church; the Church, loyal in all tilings to Christ, will 
grow into a living union and fulfill the prayer which He offered 
for us : "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made 
perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast 
sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me" (Jno. 
17:23). 

Subjects for Special Consideration 

The spirit of the world approaches the Church from many 
angles. From whatever source the attack comes, there should 
be some special attention given for the safety of tlfe Church. 
The Holy Ghost gives due consideration to every important 
doctrine, without magnifying or minimizing any point out of 
its due proportion. Whenever a danger confronts the Church 
the Spirit gives attention in accord with the need of the hour. 
Following this divine course, it seems good to consider the 
following subjects : 

1. "Unspotted from the World." — This theme is sug- 
gested by James' definition of pure religion: "Pure religion 
and undented before God and the Father is this, to visit the 
fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself 
unspotted from the world" (Jas. 1:27). Jesus prayed concern- 
ing His disciples : "I pray not that thou shouldest take them 
out of the world, but that thou shouldest. keep them from the 
evil." Paul (Tit. 2:14) and Peter (I Pet. 2:9) referred to the 
people of God as a ''peculiar people." As God's "peculiar 
people" we have more or less dealing with the world. Unless 
we are aware of the dangers which lurk in the spirit of the 
world we are sure to become defiled with such contact. It is^ 
needful therefore that we walk with eyes open and prayerfully 
before God, and His keeping power will sustain us, pure and 
unspotted in His sight. 

While so much of nominal Christianity is sadly spotted, 
we are not thereby to conclude that we can excuse ourselves 



NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD 527 

for having these spots about ourselves. "And they that are 
Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." 
"He that is born of God doth not commit sin." "If we walk in 
the light, as he is in the light .... the blood of Jesus Christ 
his Son cleanseth us from all sin," 

Worldly spots are spiritual in their effect. They defile our 
spiritual life and destroy our power with God and man. We 
can not go into a detailed discussion of the spots which dehTe 
so many people, as they are more fully considered elsewhere 
in this chapter; but covetousness, intemperance, strife, pride, 
licentiousness, unholy conversation, worldly amusements, gaudy 
apparel, and kindred evils, are among the spots which defile 
the fair garments of our spiritual life. Many of these spots, 
if we are not watchful and armed by "the full armor of God," 
come upon us through our environments ; but if we are fully 
aware of our mission (Jno. 17:18), knowing that "our citizen- 
ship is in heaven," that we are "ambassadors for Christ,'' we 
may go forth with blood-washed robes, armed with the weapons 
of God (II Cor. 10:4-6; Eph. 6:10-18), guarded by ministering 
spirits (Heb. 1:14), marching under orders from the Captain 
of our salvation, without fear of defeat or defilement. 

If the Church of Christ will rise to her Christian privileges 
she will be a mighty power for God in the world. A standard 
of purity will be held up which a gain-saying world can not 
overthrow. Souls that are now reveling in sin will have their 
"refuge of lies" swept away, souls who sport in their own* 
deceit will be awakened to the awfulness of their condition. 
Though wickedness abound, the redeemed may walk in white. 
Rev. 3:4-6. 

2. The Unequal Yoke. — The dangers which lurk in* 
worldly spots demonstrate the wisdom of the admonition, "Be 
ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.'' Two can 
not walk together except they be agreed. If we agree to walk 
with those in whom the Spirit of Christ does not dwell we have 
thereby entered a fellowship which will make us partakers of 
other men's sins and rob us of our power. 

Many are the ways in which we may be yoked together 



528 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

with unbelievers. Among the most common ways in which 
Christian people may be thus ensnared are business partnership 
with ungodly men, secret societies, the society of worldlings 
politics, and often times interdenominational religious organiza- 
tions. These are discussed elsewhere in this volume. 

There are two important points in connection with our 
subject which should never be lost sight of: (1) We should 
never become entangled in any alliance in which we are 
hampered in living as the Bible would have us live. (2) We 
should have our consciences awake, our spiritual eyes open, 
our knowledge of God's will enlarged, that we may see the) 
point of danger before we step into it. If we find ourselves 
already entangled, let us heed the voice of God and "come out" 
(II Cor. 6:17). It may cost us some earthly property, some 
temporal advantages, some near and dear friends, but it will be 
still more costly to remain under the yoke, while to renounce it- 
means to come into favor and friendship with God and make 
us joint heirs with Christ for eternal riches and glory. 

3. Bible Teaching on Dress. — Dress is primarily an 
expression of character. It may express attributes, spheres in 
life, office or station. Man's first effort at clothing consisted of 
fig-leaves sewed together; but man's invention proved useless 
and God made him a "coat of skins." These two forms of 
dress are typical of the whole field of human history. Human 
fancy and invention is an attempt to appear what man is not. 
Such are all they that follow the fashions of the world. The 
divinely appointed covering makes no outward display, but 
is an unassuming acknowledgement of spiritual dependence 
and practical supply for bodily needs and comfort. Such 
are they who are adorned after the pattern of those pro- 
fessing and possessing godliness. The whole Scripture will 
be found to harmonize with this first lesson on dress — a 
rebuke to the untrue, an attempt to give expression to the true 
attitude of man toward one another and toward God. We 
shall consider the divine teaching under the following sub- 
divisions : 

a. A Covering for Decency. Sin brought a disordered 



NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD 529 

state into man's imagination. God recognized the need for ? 
suitable covering for man's moral protection, and provided 
''coats of skins," as already noted. Those who follow in paths 
of piety and virtue have recognized this need and sought to 
provide for it ever since. Gen. 9 :20-27. Where looseness in 
morals prevails there is also a carelessness in providing for 
decent clothing. Many of the prevailing fashions of the world 
come from those whose minds are ruled by lewdness and 
sensuality. Divers colors to suggest undress, actual nudenes? 
of portions of the body that ought to be covered, patterns 
• exposing or calling attention to certain parts of the body, are 
.all due to the invention of corrupt imaginations and a disregard 
for purity in society. 

b. Bodily Protection. Health and comfort are given due 
consideration. Job 31:19, 20; Prov. 31:21; Jas. 2:15, 16. 
The body requires protection from heat and cold and storm. 
This should be done without the sacrifice of principles of 
propriety and decency. Many have lost health and even life 
itself because they obeyed the dictates of fashion rather than 
the Bible and common sense in the kind of clothing that they 
wore. 

c. A Mark of Sex. God has set all His creation in 
order. Man has walked contrary to this order in almost every 
way imaginable. God gave Israel a law forbidding man to wear 
the recognized sign of womanly apparel and woman from 
wearing that of man. Deut. 22:5. His people are to set forth 
the true relation and order in all ages. I Cor. 11:3; 14:40. 
The world violates this principle in masculine patterns for 
women in the design of dress, wearing of the hair, etc., and 
often speaks lightly of the obedience of God's people. 

d. A Type of Spiritual Truth. Man's spiritual nature is 
affected for good or for ill by the use he makes of things 
having spiritual significance. In nothing is this more true than 
in dress. Hence God used certain forms of dress to instruct 
His people. The high priest in Israel wore garments typical of 
the character of our great High Priest. Ex. 28:2; 29:5-9; 
Heb. 3:1, 2; 7:21-28; 10:21, 22. The people were to wear a 



530 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

sign in the border of their garments in type of their relation to* 
God and His law. Num. 15:38-41. His people could not 
approach Him in favor with ornaments on their person. Ex. 
33:4-6; Gen. 35:1-4. Strange apparel was a mark of some- 
thing that called for punishment. Zeph. 1 :8. Such objects 
were worn by the heathen and were associated with the worship 
of idols. Deut. 7:25, 26; Josh. 6:18; 7:1, 11, 21. Gaudy 
apparel was condemned in severest terms. Isa. 3:16-24. 

While we are no longer under the ordinances of the Old 
Covenant, we still have a nature which can appreciate the types 
and signs of spiritual truth. These types are patterns of truths 
which we may enjoy in completeness in Christ. We are now 
under the New Covenant, and should obey its teachings with, 
a better understanding than those under the Old. Here, as. 
well as under the Old, there is definite teaching as to what 
people should or should not wear. 

e. Simplicity and Modesty. "Whose adorning, let it not 
be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing 
of gold, or of putting on of apparel ; but let it be the hidden 
man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the 
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit" (I Pet. 3:3, 4). "That 

women adorn themselves in modest apparel not with 

braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array ; but .... with 
good works" (I Tim. 2:9, 10). Our outward adorning should 
not follow the vanities of sight in plaiting the hair, or wearing 
of gold, or "putting on of apparel;" it should not be "gold, or 
pearls, or costly array." Those who invent such array, like 
Adam and Eve, are seeking a covering of fig-leaves and declare 
plainly that they are sadly in need of the adornment of the 
heart. Those who seek Christ as their covering receive the 
Holy Spirit as the jewel of the heart, and need no outward 
display save the sign of "modest apparel." The Scriptures 
already quoted teach us plainly that our clothing should be 
simple, plain, neat, serviceable, comfortable, modest, without 
jewelry or anything else that is worn for display rather than 
service. Costly array means to squander the Lord's money 
and to foster pride in self and others. 



NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD 531 

f. Worldly Conformity. "And be not conformed to this 
world, but be ye transformed (from the world) by the renewing 
of your minds" (Rom. 12:2). This corresponds with the 
leaching set forth in Tit. 2:14, Jas. 4:4, I Pet. 2:9, I Jno. 2:15. 
and like scriptures. It includes everything in which we may be 
''fashioned according to this world," and on the dress question 
is applicable to patterning after the fashions of this world. 
God's people should not be afraid to be different from the 
world. Some say that we should dress so as not to be noticed'. 
This is right where all around us are consistent in the clothing 
that they wear; but so long as we are surrounded by people 
who follow the world's fashions in the wearing of jewelry, 
•costly array, and the immodest apparel for which the prevailing 
fashions are noted, it is as impossible to obey God and not 
•dress differently from the world as it would be to live in a 
community of drunkards and obey God without being different 
from them on the drink habit. If we fashion our apparel after 
the patterns of this world we are partaking of the "accursed 
thing." We can not please God and follow the forms that 
savor of the world's spirit ; we can not wear the apparel of the 
world without becoming partakers of its spirit. I Cor. 10:21, 
22). But if our minds are renewed, our very appearance will 
show it ; our fashions will be dictated by the Spirit of the 
followers of Christ ; we will gladly walk in unison with those 
who follow after the same Spirit. 

In conclusion, we oppose the fashions of the world, because 

1. They are unscriptural. 

2. They are dictated by and lead into the spirit of the 
world. 

3. They are expensive. 

4. They foster pride. 

5. They foster lust. 

6. They promote caste in society. 

7. They mean an immense waste of money, time an"' 



•energy. 



They drive the poor away from the church. 

The leaders in fashion are slaves to vanity and lust. 



532 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

10. They make life a burden and hinder the evangelization' 
of the world. 

We stand for simplicity and modesty in apparel, because 

1. It is commanded by the Lord. 

2. It is the only kind of apparel in which we can appear 
approved of God. 

3. It is conducive to our well being morally,- physically,. 
and spiritually. 

4. It is true to the law of God's order in creation and in- 
life. 

5. It is the uniform of Christian people in all ages of the 
world. 

6. It is an element of strength wherever consistently 
practiced. 

Nonconformity Pointers 

1. "Is Thine Heart Right?" — Tot) many people see 
only form in this subject. Recognizing this, we see the 
wisdom of God in putting it into the mind of Paul to follow 
up the admonition, "Be not conformed to this world," with 
"but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." What 
man is outwardly is at best but an indication of the condition 
of the heart. There is no special virtue in doing right at 
times when there is no special temptation to do wrong. The 
thief deserves no credit for not stealing when there is no 
opportunity or temptation to steal ; the gambler does not ply 
his trade while associating with honest people ; the libertine 
acts decently while among respectable people ; the fashion 
devotee often conforms to the customs of those who believe in 
simplicity and nonconformity while among that class of people. 
There is no reward offered for doing right while there is no 
temptation to do wrong. The question is not, Are you willing, 
at times, to conform to the customs of godly people? but; Is 
your mind so completely renewed, your heart so completely 
changed, that you can not give your consent to indulge in 
sinful practices at any time and under any circumstances? 
Are you so free from covetousness that you will not accept a 



NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD 533 

cent dishonestly? so pure that you do not practice immorality 
at any time, even in times of temptation? so fully set upon 
the things above that you can not enjoy the vanities and 
foolishness of this world? So fully renewed in mind and heart 
that you will not wear anything which the Bible forbids or 
counsels against, and so completely separated from the world 
that you can not be induced to conform to the fashions of the 
world? Is your heart right? 

2. "Abhor that which is Evil." — It is good to heed the 
admonition, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." Yet this 
is a hard thing to do unless we have a horror for all evil. 
Many who know it is wrong to drink are nevertheless drunk- 
ards because they love the taste of liquor, or at least like the 
effects it produces. The tyranny and follies of Fashion are 
recognized by most people, yet most people bow down before 
this god, largely because they admire these fashions, a kind of 
serpentine charm making them feel that these things are "nice." 
Fashion has little or no power over those who have a feeling 
of horror for its evils. Our ability to cope with this great evil 
depends upon our ability to get people awakened to a realiza- 
tion of its hypnotic and poisonous and destructive nature. 

3. Be Natural. — It ought to be as natural for the child 
of God to appear in clothing that is modest, scriptural, and 
patterned after that worn by men and women professing and 
possessing godliness, as it is for the worldling to be adorned 
after the fashions of this world. As soon as people 'see that 
your simple, modest attire contributes to your happiness and 
usefulness, they will be influenced to pattern after you ; but if 
they get the idea that plain attire makes you feel uncomfort- 
able, and that you would not wear it if you were not com- 
pelled to, the influence acts the other way. A plain garb 
covering a proud heart filled with the love of the world spells 
misery. A plain garb covering a pure, humble heart filled with 
the love of God is at once so natural and so consistent that 
happiness and contentment are a natural result. Be natural ; 
see that your heart is right with God ; and your clothing will 



534 BIBIvE DOCTRINE 

indicate that you are one with God, submissive to His Word, 
and in fellowship with the brotherhood of saints. 

4. Be Consistent. — Never make a hobby of noncon- 
formity, no matter whether that hobby be plain clothes, correct 
business methods, temperance, abstinence from worldly pleas- 
ures, or anything else. All of these things ought to be 
scrupulously practiced, but not any more so that the scores of 
other things which the Bible enjoins upon us as Christian duty. 
Hobby-riding means the neglect of other things just as im- 
portant, and this means inconsistent living. Here is a theme 
as broad as conversion itself. It is important that we keep 
well balanced all along the line — consistent in purity, in piety, 
in simplicity, in humility, in whole-hearted Christian service, in 
all things pleasing to God. 



v I 






CHAPTER VI 

NONRESISTANCE 

But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil. — Matt. 5:39. 
The Doctrine Presented 

A Fundamental Principle. — Nonresistance is a funda- 
mental principle of the Gospel as taught by our Savior. There 
can be no real Christ-life without the spirit of nonresistance. 
Resisting evil brings forth words and actions which can not be 
reconciled with or sustained by the Gospel. 

Christ Our Example. — A careful reading of Scripture, a 
prayerful searching after what Christ taught and how He lived, 
makes it clear that His life was a life of nonresistance. He 
did not resist evil. Although He had all power in heaven and 
on earth, and by one word or wave of the hand could have 
destroyed all those who "did Him evil, yet He suffered much, 
did not strike back, did not retaliate, rendered good for evil, 
and prayed for His enemies. By His patient suffering, His 
sweet disposition, and His self-denial He set an example for 
all ages, for all nations, for all conditions of mankind. He 
says of Himself, "I am the way," thus showing us what kind 
of an attitude to have toward our enemies, showing us how to 
walk through life. It is evident that there is but one way to 
live right, and that is the way of nonresistance. 

Christ Our Teacher. — The teaching of our Savior is in 
harmony with His life and example. He says, "Whosoever 
shall smite thee on the right cheek (that is, when thou doest 
that which is right) turn to him the other also" (Matt. 5:39): 
Nonresistance implies suffering wrongfully, innocently. If we 
suffer patiently for well doing, how much less should we resist 
when smitten because of our faults? If we are willing to 
suffer for that which is good, how much more willing should 



536 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

we be for being smitten on the left cheek? To suffer as a 
thief, etc., is not grace; but to suffer as a Christian means to 
glorify God. I Pet. 4:15, 16. Jesus says, "Blessed are ye when 
men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all man-i 
ner of evil against you falsely, for my sake" (Matt. 5:11). To 
Peter who had smitten off the ear of Malchus He said, "Put 
up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the 
sword shall perish with the sword" (Matt. 26:52). To Pilate 
He said, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom 
were of this world, then would my servants fight" (Jno. 18: 
36). That the chief priests and Pharisees had the same 
opinion of the effects of His nonresistant doctrine as the 
unbelieving world has today is evident from their testimony 
after the raising of Lazarus : "If we let him thus alone, all 
men will believe on him: and the Romans will come and take 
away both our place and nation" (Jno. 11:48). Thus in both 
life and teaching do we find our blessed Savior worthy of the 
name, "The Prince of Peace." 

Nonresistance in Action. — It is contrary to the principles 
of the Gospel to resist, i. e., to prosecute those who falsely 
speak evil of the followers of Jesus — to make them a sign, a 
libel. To be nonresistant means that no matter what it is 
that brings the persecution it will be borne in patience. It is' 
quite inconsistent with the principles of the teaching and 
example of our Savior for those who claim to be His followers 
to unite with the army and with military weapons fight against 
and kill their persecutors. The disciples of Jesus do not fight. 
Jno. 18:36. It is not in accordance with Scripture to "watt 
after the flesh" with carnal weapons. II Cor. 10:3, 4. No 
person has power to vanish out of sight as Jesus did (Luke 
4:29, 30), but if the Christian is persecuted in one city he dare 
flee to the next, rather than to resist evil, i. e., fight against 
enemies. 

It is not in accordance with the principle of nonresistance 
to sue at law for any grievance whatever, but we should rather 
suffer wrong, rather suffer ourselves to be defrauded. I Cor. 
6:1-8. Peace is not restored by suing at law. If any con- 



XOXRESISTANCE ?37 

troversy arises, resistance aggravates and makes matters worse. 
By obeying the teaching of Jesus according to Matt. 5 :23, 24 
and Matt. 18:15-17 all differences between followers of Jesus 
can be adjusted. Nonresistance implies a willingness for peace, 
a forgiving each other from the heart. 

Rendering evil for evil is not in accordance with the 
teachings of Jesus, is not following His example. "Where 
envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work" 
(Jas. 3:16). This wisdom is not from above — not from God, 
not from Christ, not heavenly — but "earthly, sensual, devilish" 
(Jas. 3:15). Though nonresistance may lead to loss and 
suffering, yet it will bring a blessing from God — the answer of 
?. good conscience, the sweet promise of a reward — an hundred 
fold. Mark 10:30. It means cross-bearing and requires self- 
denial. It is not agreeable to the carnal mind. But by practic- 
ing self-denial and patiently bearing the cross, the crown of 
life is promised as a sure reward. 

Nonresistance also requires that no Christian can assume 
official duties which require of him to resist evil, to punish 
evil-doers, to execute wrath upon him that" doeth evil. 

These facts being plainly set forth in Scripture, we repeat 
that nonresistance is a fundamental Christian principle, taught 
and practiced by our Savior, and should be taught and practiced 
by all His followers. 

Further Observations* 
The Foundation. — 'Nonresistance is our Savior's com- 
mand, "Resist not evil," put into practice. When the peace of 
God reigns supreme in the hearts of His people it gives them 
peaceable relation with everything but sin. After reading such 
plain and emphatic commandments as, "Love your enemies," 
"Do good to them that hate you," "Avenge not yourselves," 
"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good ;" being 
assured that the servants of God do not fight and that "the 
weapons of our warfare are not carnal," we feel like accepting 
without question these teachings of our blessed Lord and praise 



*The remainder of this chapter is supplied by the editor. 



538 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Him for the privilege of following in the footsteps of Jesus, 
the Prince of Peace. 

Christ the Prince of Peace. — Of all the teachers of peace 
Christ stands at the head. The prophets so understood it, 
Thus did Isaiah write: "Unto us a child is born, unto us a 
Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: 
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The 
mighty God, The everlasting Father, The PRINCE OF 
PEACE." 

The time of the advent came. As in the still night the 
pious shepherds of Bethlehem were keeping watch over their 
flocks they were startled by a joyous message from heaven: 
"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be 
to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of 
David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." And the heavenly 
host in glad acclaim chanted this refrain: "Glory to God in 
the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." This 
is He who taught the blessed doctrine of peace, and who 
exemplified His teaching by a peaceful life. He came to bring 
to His people "the peace of God which passeth all understand- 
ing," saying, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto 
you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your 
heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Having accepted 
this peace, and enlisted under His banner, we hail Him as our 
Savior and Lord, fighting the good fight of faith with weapons 
which are "not carnal, but mighty through God." 

Apostolic Teaching. — The teaching of the apostles is in 
striking harmony with that of their Lord. Paul writes, "Dearly 
beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto 
wrath .... If thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give 
him drink" (Rom. 12:19, 20). To the contentious brethren at 
Corinth he wrote, "There is utterly a fault among you, because 
ye go to law with one another. Why do ye not rather take 
wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defraud- 
ed" (I Cor. 6:7)? Concerning warfare he says, "The weapons 
of our warfare are not carnal" (II Cor. 10:4). To the 
Hebrews he writes, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, 



NONRESISTANCE 539 

without which no man can see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). 
James says that wars and fightings come from the lusts of 
contentious men. Jas. 4:1. Peter refers approvingly to the 
example of our Lord Jesus Christ and says that we should 
follow in His steps. I Pet. 2:21. 

The Apostolic Church was a nonresistant church. This 
we have from the testimony of the apostles, as well as the 
testimony of historians who tell us that at first the Church put 
into practice literally the teachings of Jesus on peace, but that 
later on they found this ground untenable and would not refuse 
to enlist in war provided it was waged in a righteous cause. 
We will let the reader judge as to which was the more con- 
sistent course for professed followers of the Prince of Peace 
to follow. 

War the Work of Barbarians. — Show us a nation that is 
devoid of civilization, and we will show you a nation which 
resorts to carnal weapons for the settlement of disputes. 
Murder and anarchy thrive most among savages, as it is among 
them that the passions of malice and vengeance have the widest 
latitude. Banish these from the human heart, and murder and 
war will cease. The cases are very rare where men, either as 
individuals or as government soldiers, deliberately take the life 
of fellow-men without being stirred by one or both these pas- 
sions. Where men have risen above malice and revenge they 
have uniformly denounced war as cruel, heartless, inhumane, 
barbarous, savage, un-Christian, hellish. Who can witness the 
mass of mangled humanity lying in heaps upon the field of 
carnage, hear the cries of the wounded and the shrieks and 
wails of thousands of widows and orphans, and behold the 
moral degradation which always follows in the wake of war, 
and say that war is a Christian institution! 

Testimony of Warlike Men. — So horrible is the grim 
spectre of war that even men of war have testified to its 
savagery. 

Napoleon, to whose ambition hundreds of thousands of 
lives were sacrificed, knew whereof he spoke when he said that 
"War is the business of barbarians." 



540 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Shakespeare reveals the true character of war in the lines 
of Henry V, who in addressing his troops before battle says, 
"When the blasts of war blow in your ears, imitate the action 
of the tiger." 

General Joseph Hooker once replied to a friend who 
referred to many good generals who had felt it their duty to. 
engage in war: ''The truth is, good men can not be good men 
and fighting men. They must have the devil in them. To kill 
one another, they must have their blood up, and then they are 
just like devils." 

General W. T. Sherman's famous definition of war — "War 
is hell!" — is generally accepted by all people who have seen the 
realities of war as being a very appropriate definition. 

Modern Peace Movements. — The 'savagery of war being 
amost universally recognized, numerous efforts have been made 
to put an end to war by providing for the settlement of all 
international disputes through arbitration. In support of this 
cause numerous peace organizations have been called into being. 
Without attempting in the least to discourage any movement 
for the betterment of men, we say without hesitation that these 
efforts will never bring about ideal conditions so long as the 
leaders of these movements refuse to stand on the Gospel 
ground of opposition to war under any circumstances. The 
Bible teaches peace, not because it is better than war, but 
because it is the only right way to live. The only peace 
movement that can ever enjoy divine favor is that headed by 
the Prince of Peace. 

Weakness of armed Resistance. — Men have wondered 
why it is that the early Church, having the determined opposi- 
tion of both Jew and Pagan, with no powerful interests to 
protect it, refusing under all circumstances to resort to the use 
of carnal weapons for defence, should make more real progress 
than did the Church after Christianity became the religion of 
state and had the powerful backing of the armies of Rome? 
why, at the present time, in spite of the preponderance of 
sentiment in favor of peace, with powerful peace organizations 
to propagate this sentiment and all nations professing them- 



NONRESISTANCE 541 

selves lovers of peace, the burden of militarism is continually 
becoming heavier? We answer, whenever nations or churches 
get off the real Bible foundation, they must go forth without 
divine approval, without divine blessing. The modern peace 
movements are weak in that they justify war under certain 
circumstances. That means that when the fighting blood is up, 
war is always justified. That means no restraining conscience 
against violence. That means that the final arbiter in inter- 
national disputes is not reason and right, but brute force. That 
means that the power of God is ignored and the power of man 
substituted in its stead. All history proves that while war ir 
terrible and awe-inspiring, and has its temporary and brilliant 
and awful victories, it has always been ruinous in the end. 
The nations that have prided themselves on their military 
glory have been uniformly short-lived. 

The Power of Peace. — It is proverbial that peace has 
her victories more glorious than any ever won by the sword. 
Peace means prosperity, whether applied to families, to 
churches, to nations. When we say "peace" we do not mean a 
mere inanimation. Some people, churches, and nations are not 
at war because they are too dead to fight. But they who are" 
alive to God, alive to duty and opportunity and responsibility 
and at the same time so absolutely peaceable that they avoid 
carnal strife under any and all circumstances, are the ones who 
enjoy the greatest power. Christ by refusing to call the 
heavenly legions to rescue Him from the cross won a more 
glorious and more farreaching victory than even a victory by 
the triumphant forces of heaven would have been. The early 
Christian Church, thoroughly nonresistant, ground between the 
upper and nether millstones of Pharisaism and Paganism, with 
no support but the mighty power of God, made a marvelous 
growth ; while afterwards, after Christianity had become the . 
religion of state and the wealth and power of the nation was 
at the command of the Church, it lapsed into darkness and 
decay. Pennsylvania, under peaceful Quaker rule, enjoyed an 
unbroken peace with the Indians, while the colonies that 
trusted in the sword of steel were distracted by Indian wars 



542 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

That man is safest who goes unarmed. The same would be 
true of nations if there were any that would trust God far, 
enough to give Him a chance to show what He would do with 
a nonresistant nation. Disintegration sets in whenever the 
Gospel of peace is abandoned. 

A few Contradictions. — In comparing Scripture with the 
logic of apologists for war, there are many contradictions 
which can not escape the notice of the sincere seeker after 
truth. Here are a few of them: 

1. Christ says, "Love your enemies." In war the com- 
mand is, "Kill your enemies." 

2. The Bible says, "If thine enemy hunger, feed him." 
According to the law of nations to give comfort to the enemy 
is treason. 

3. The Bible says, "Do violence to no man." There is 
no such thing as carnal warfare without violence. 

4. Christ came "to seek and to save" the lost. Armies 
are out "to seek and to kill." 

5. Christ says, "Preach the gospel to every creature." 
Soldiers on the battle-field endeavor to surprise the enemy and' 
thus instantly send thousands to eternity without a moment's 
warning or a chance for repentance. 

6. We are taught to pray, "Forgive us our debts as we 
forgive our debtors." If God were to answer this prayer 
literally, what would become of soldiers? 

7. The Bible says, "Thou shalt not kill." This command 
put into practice would forever end all wars. 

8. The Bible commands us to love our brethren. In 
times of war it not infrequently happens that members of the 
same church are on different sides, desperately trying to kill' 
each other. 

Notwithstanding all these glaring contradictions, many who- 
profess to be followers of the Prince of Peace, cast aside His 
teaching and laud war as something of which God approves. 

The Blessings of Peace. — Who can number them? 
What tongue or pen can do justice in portraying them? Yet 
the perfect peace of God means so much for the human soul 



NONRESISTANCE 543 

and brings such great blessings to mankind in general that we 
can not refrain from saying a few things about it. This is 
what nonresistance means — * 

1. For the Home. It fills the home with good will, paints 
the sunshine of heaven upon the countenances of parents, 
children, servants, and strangers within the gates. It banishes 
quarreling, makes a paradise of home, and binds the children 
to the first commandment with promise. 

2. For the Community. It puts the gossiper out of 
commission, makes quarrels impossible, banishes law-suits and 
contentions of any kind, and does away with the excuse for 
combinations of labor or of capital. 

3. For the Church. It binds all the members together in 
the bonds of peace. It makes carnal strife impossible. All 
differences of opinion will be considered in love and in the 
light of God's Word, so that even these differences will be 
blessed of the Lord in that a discussion of them will be en- 
lightening to all who consider them. It means a united body, 
bound together by "the bond of perfectness," which means 
strength for the cause, dismay for the opposition, and prosper- 
ity for the Church. 

4. For the Nation. Nonresistance applied to nations 
would put an end to war, disband all armies and navies, 
convert ambition into a desire to promote the welfare of others. 
Swords would be beaten into plowshares and spears into 
pruning hooks, hatred and strife would cease, and all nations 
would join in the heavenly refrain, "Glory to God in the 
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." 

Individual Nonresistance. — Some who advocate non- 
resistance so far as individuals are concerned, justify nations 
going to war "in a righteous cause." Why then should not 
individuals be permitted to fight "in a righteous cause?" If I 
am smarting under a grave injustice inflicted upon me by my 
fellow-man what difference is it whether I go out lone-handed 
and try to take his life or whether I act in a company of ten 
thousand others who are engaged in the same business? We 
never lose our individuality. When nations command us to do 



544 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

something which the Bible forbids us to do as individuals, we 
should have no hesitancy in saying as did the apostles, "We 
ought to obey God rather than men." 

A few Questions Considered 

As the doctrine of nonresistance is upheld by lovers of 
peace, one hears a chorus of objections. Many questions are 
asked by opponents which they suppose to be unanswerable. 
Nevertheless, "the word of God standeth sure." The testimony 
of Christ and the apostles is worth more than the testimony of 
ten thousand men who are not so inspired. At the same time, 
we believe that the questions of opponents, especially since 
some of them come from honest hearts, should be met. With 
this end in view we shall endeavor briefly to notice the ones 
most frequently heard. 

The Nonresistant Nation. — What would become of a 
nonresistant nation? Answer by one of little faith: The sur- 
rounding nations would soon overrun it and reduce the people 
to a state of servitude. Answer by one who believes in the 
wisdom and promises of God: The same God who divided the 
waters of the Red Sea and delivered Israel out of the hands of 
Pharoah, who in answer to prayer delivered helpless Hezekiah 1 
from the power of Sennacherib, who delivered the Syrians 
into the hands of Elisha, who has shown His superior power 
and faithfulness to all promises, would take care of a nation- 
that trusted wholly in Him and walked in all His command- 
ments. A good illustration is to be found in Pennsylvania 
under Quaker rule. Penn's treaty with the Indians is said to- 
be "the only treaty never sworn to and never broken." God 
took care of Pennsylvania; God will take care of any individ- 
ual, church, or nation that takes Him at His Word. 

Old Testament Warriors. — Many people are sure that 
war can not be wrong, for holy men of old like Joshua, David,, 
etc., were distinguished in war and stood in favor and friend- 
ship with God. If that is good argument, then polygamy must 
also be right ; for this same David, like a number of other 
men of God, was a polygamist. There are many things con- 



NONRESISTANCE 545 

nected with the Old Testament dispensation that can be har-« 
monized with the existing order of affairs under the New only 
on the ground that since there was a change in the priesthood 
there must of necessity be a change in the law. Heb. 7:12. 
One difference between the two dispensations is that while the 
Old was a dispensation of justice, the New is a dispensation 
of mercy. We can see therefore how that God in former times 
sometimes used His people in meting out justice to His enemies' 
while under the New dispensation He uses His people only in 
dealing out mercy, and that therefore it was as consistent for 
men like David to be faithful warriors as it is for people under 
the present dispensation to refuse to have a part in anything 
but that which deals out mercy. 

With this view harmonizes the teaching of the Prince of 
Peace. He says, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An 
eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, 
That ye resist not evil" (Matt. 5:38, 39). That Christ intend- 
ed that His people should abstain from carnal strife of all 
kinds is evident from His teaching.* When He said, "My 
kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this 
world, then would my servants fight" (Jno. 18:36); when He 
commanded Peter to put up his sword, declaring that all who 
take the sword shall perish with the sword; His instruction 
should be considered emphatic enough and plain enough that 
no one would question it because of seeming difficulties. 

But let us not get the idea that God ever did take delight 
in His people taking the life of fellowmen. The mightiest 
victories ever won were achieved without the aid of man; as 
for example, the overthrow of Pharoah and his host, the 
destruction of Sennacherib's army, etc. David was forbidden 
to build the temple because he was a man of war. 

The prophets, the virgin Mary, the apostles — all point to 
Christ. Listen to His teachings, follow in His steps, and you 
will never go wrong. 

Christ's Example. — Some think they can disprove the 



"'For a fuller discussion on this point see chapter on Swearing of 
Oaths, P, 550. 



546 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

nonresistance theory by the example of Christ Himself. His 
teaching, they say, must not be taken literally; for did He not 
Himself practically violate His own commandments? For 
instance, did He riot take a scourge and drive the money- 
changers out of the temple? and did He not instruct His 
disciples to arm themselves just previous to His betrayal by 
Judas? and did He not, when He was smitten on the cheek by 
one of the officers, instead of turning the other cheek, resent, 
the insult by saying, "Why smitest thou me" (Jno. 18:22,23)? 

Well, let the objectors have their way on this point, and 
prove Christ inconsistent in that His life conflicted with His 
teaching. What have they gained? Would such a line of 
argument strengthen or destroy our faith in Christ as the 
immaculate Son of God? If He did not regard His own Word, 
how can He expect us to respect it? This argument falls flat 
of its own weight. 

But really, these points are not at all difficult. Christ 
using the scourge in cleansing the temple is typical of His 
attitude toward the iniquity of making merchandise of the 
Gospel. Explaining His action as a natural occurrence, did it 
ever occur to these objectors that His authority in the temple 
was never recognized and that these money-changers together 
with the officers would have made quick work of Him if this 
were not a supernatural occurrence? Then about Him telling 
His disciples to arm themselves, if that was simply a natural 
occurrence, does it not seem silly that He should take such 
precautions and lean upon the doubtful support of two swords' 
when at the same time He had the power to call to His 
assistance more than twelve legions of angels from heaven? 
We shall not attempt to state all the reasons why Christ 
requested those swords; but we do know that in the events 
which followed there was a literal fulfillment of the prophecy, 
"He was numbered with the transgressors," that the world has. 
a grand object lesson in the futility of physical self-defence, 
and that Christ found occasion to teach His lesson on the 
disarmament of Peter and all other Christians. In regard to 
Him not turning the other cheek, read Jno. 18:22, 23 carefully, 



NONRESISTANCE 547 

and then observe, (1) that the Word does not say that Christ 
was smitten on the cheek; (2) that it does not say that He did 
not turn the other cheek; (3) that When Christ promulgated 
His "other cheek" doctrine He did not say one word against 
backing up His action with faithful testimony. 

Yes, we must believe that Christ literally and faithfully 
obeyed His own teaching, or the whole Gospel of Christ is a 
farce. 

The Proverbial Thief. — What would you do if a thief 
should enter your house at night — would you shoot him, or 
let him shoot you? The chances are that you would fare better 
if you made no effort to resist. But even if it were a question 
between you taking his life, or he taking yours, you as a child 
of God prepared to meet Him at any time, could better afford 
to meet Him than to send this poor, impenitent, lost soul to 
eternity without a chance for repentance. 

The Good Man Argument. — It is argued that war must 
be right, for there are so many good men that justify it. How 
many evil things could be justified on the same ground? A 
few years ago good, old Bishop Potter started a saloon, expect- 
ing to run it on a Christian basis, and thus solve the saloon 
problem. David was "a man after God's own heart" — and a 
polygamist. A century ago there were many people, good 
people, who believed slavery was right, and only cranks were 
supposed to oppose it. Cotton Mather, one of the most learned 
and pious men of his time, believed that it was right to hang 
witches. If the approval of good men is all that is necessary 
to make a thing right, then there are very few evils in the 
world that are not right. 

But the good men are not all on the side of war. To say 
nothing of the millions who now look upon war as a monster 
evil, Christ and the apostles were emphatically against it, and 
that should settle it in the minds of all who bear the name of 
Christ. 

What — if all the good people in the world would 
become absolutely nonresistant? would not the bad people of 
the world soon bring it to ruin? That would not affect the 



548 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

promise, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the 
world." If we see to obeying God, He will see to our protec- 
tion, and His blessings will attend our labors much more than 
by mistrusting Him and taking things into our own hands. 

Obedience to Governments. — Are we not commanded to 
"be subject unto the higher powers?" to "obey magistrates?" 
to submit to "every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake?" 
Yes. The child of God should be the most law-abiding of all 
citizens. If we are to "resist not evil," much less should we 
resist the powers that be. But meek submission to magistrates 
does not mean insubordination to the higher powers of heaven. 
When therefore governments call upon us to do something 
which the Word of God forbids we should not hesitate to do' 
as did the apostles, "obey God rather than men." The Chris- 
tian is the most submissive citizen on earth, and for this very/ 
reason submits to all the commandments of God, no matter 
what governments do to him because of this submission. No 
one has a right, at the command of any power on earth, to 
serve as a soldier in the army so long as the child of God is 
commanded not to fight. 

The Lesser of two Evils. — War is sometimes defended 
on the ground that it is the only recourse left to combat greater* 
evils. In reply we will state that it is hard to think of an evil 
that is greater than war. We recognize, however, the hand of 
an overruling Providence who guides the destiny of nations 
and keeps the welfare of His people in mind. God used 
Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, and others of the world rulers in the 
work of making this a safer place for man to dwell. We can 
repeat the language of faith and testify "that all things work 
together for good to them that love God." But what has this 
to do with the man who has accepted his place in the kingdom 
of Christ and promised to be obedient to all that Christ taught? 
As citizens of the heavenly kingdom we want to be subject to 
all the laws of that kingdom, including the injunction that "the 
servant of Go r 1 must not strive," that "the weapons of QUV 
warfare are not carnal." 



NONRESISTANCE 549 

Practical Nonresistance 

Christians should — ■ 

1. Love their enemies. — Matt. 5:14. 

2. Resist not evil.— Matt. 5:39. 

3. Never be overbearing in their attitude toward others. — 
Eph. 4:32. 

4. Return good for evil. — Rom. 12:21. 

5. Never take part in partisan politics. — II Cor. 6:14, 17. 

6. Avoid lawsuits. — Matt. 5:40; I Cor. 6:7, 8. 

7. Avoid disputes of all kinds. — Tit. 3:9. 

8. Never seek revenge. — Rom. 12:19. 

9. Be peaceable at all times.— Rom. 14:19; Heb. 12:14. 

10. Have kind feelings toward all people. — Matt. 5:44; 
Luke 10:27. 

11. Apply the Golden Rule at all times. — Matt. 7:12. 

12. Be satisfied with their lot— Phil. 4:11. 

13. Never grasp carnal weapons for offensive or defensive 
warfare.— Matt. 5:39; 26:52; II Cor. 10:4. 

14. Keep clear of malice. — Eph. 4:31. 

15. Be in subjection to governments, remembering that 
they owe their highest and first duty to God. — Rom. 13:1; 
Acts 5:29. 



CHAPTER VII 
SWEARING OF OATHS 

Swear not at all. — M-att. 5:34. 

Origin and Nature 

The oath has come down to us from ancient times, and 
both its words and forms are wrapped in considerable mystery. 
It has come into use, evidently in an attempt to correct the 
universal tendency in unregenerate man to bear false witness 
under pressure of circumstances and to violate the most solemn 
promises. In the oath an appeal was sometimes made to 
destructive agencies, as invoking punishment from them, and 
sometimes to things considered most precious, perhaps implying, 
as penalty the loss of them, and to deities who were supposed to 
know the secrets of men's hearts and to be able to punish 
unfaithfulness in this world and in the world to come. 

Perhaps the earliest forms were the curse oaths of the 
half-civilized nations ; as when two persons should slay an 
animal between them with the understanding that a like fate 
should befall the one who violates his obligation, or when the, 
party being sworn would place his hand upon a deadly weapon, 
tiger's tooth, bear's head or some such thing typical of destruc^ 
tion, superstitiously expecting death by that means if he should 
violate his oath. From this the advance would be but natural 
to objects of worship in nature, such as the sun which has 
power to smite with heat, a mountain to crush, or a stream to 
drown, etc. 

The folly of such oaths was recognized and pointed out 
by the most enlightened of the heathen, such as Socrates who 
said: "The most noted perjurers go unpunished, while Zeus 
(the chief deity of the Greeks) hurls his bolts at his own 
temples and the high oak trees as if they could perjure 
themselves." 



SWEARING OF OATHS 551 

The evident futility of such oaths as had their penalties 
set in time, to be executed by the destructive agencies of earth 
or by the heathen deities, would naturally lead to the adoption 
of a stronger oath which would overleap the bounds of time 
and heap up penalties in a future world. 

Terrible Abuses 

The dishonesty of the unregenerate heart, causing the 
constant violations of the most solemn obligations, and the 
effort to correct this evil by continually strengthening the 
oath, resulted in the most shocking abuses, of which we give 
a few examples. 

Heathen Oaths. — The following from a Buddhist oath 
will show to what extent this has been carried by the heathen 
nations : Not content to call down upon himself various kinds 
of death if he breaks his oath, he desires that afterwards he 
may be cast into hell, go through innumerable tortures, among 
others to carry water over the flames in a wicker basket to' 
assuage the thirst of the infernal judge; that he may migrate 
into the body of a slave for as many years as there are grains 
of sand in four seas and after this that he may be born a 
beast through five hundred generations and most hatefully 
deformed for as many more. 

Secret Order Oaths. — According to the testimony of 
honorable men who have left the lodges for conscience' sake, 
the oath-bound secret orders have almost if not quite out-done 
the heathen in heaping up penalties. Of one of these societies, 
President John Quincy Adams says: "I am prepared to 
complete the demonstration before God and man, that the 
Masonic oaths, obligations and penalties can not, by any 
possibility, be reconciled to the laws of the land, or the laws 
of morality, or laws of Christianity, and I recommend that 
Masonic oaths should be prohibited by law, upon penalties of 
fine and imprisonment adequate to prevent the administration 
of them in the future." 

Church Oaths. — The Jews in t!he time of Christ had 
also fallen into great abuses in this matter, as is shown in 



552 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

their own writings as well as the words of Christ and the 
gospels. Matt. 23:16-22. 

For about three centuries after Christ there was a strong 
protest against oaths among the Christians; but as the Church 
lost in spirituality and gained in temporal power, this with 
other unpopular truths was more and more trampled under 
foot until in the time of Constantine we find the people taking 
the military oath in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy 
Ghost, and the majesty of the emperor. With this sanction of 
the Church it is not surprising that it soon came to be used in 
her own ordinations and that it grew so rapidly that by the 
middle ages it had multiplied among the professed followers 
of Christ beyond that found among any other people. Chrys- 
ostom, who was one of the ablest Christian writers of the ■ 
fourth century, registered a strong protest against the oath, 
which was also spoken against by such men as Tertullian, 
Eusibius, Basil, Jerome, etc., and by faithful souls of all ages 
who chose to be driven about by persecution rather than 
surrender the truth of God. Chrysostom calls it "a snare of 
the devil," and says, "If any man bid you swear, tell him 
Christ has spoken and I do not swear;" and again, "But do 
thou, if anything else, at least reverence the very book thou 
holdest to be sworn by, open the Gospel thou takest in thy 
hands to administer the oath, and hearing what Christ therein 
saith of oaths, tremble and desist." 

The following oath will show how far the Church herself 
drifted from the plain teaching of Christ: "I swear by God 
Almighty, and His only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ, 
and the Holy Ghost, and the most holy, glorious mother of 
God and ever blessed Virgin Mary, and by the four gospels 
which I hold in my hand, and by the archangels, Michael, 
Gabriel, etc."* 

"Rightly Dividing the Word" 
The great importance of correct interpretation of Scrip- 



*Taken by a governor under Justinian. 



SWEARING OF OATHS 553 

ture appears from the fact that salvation itself is involved in 
it. I Tim. 4:16; II Pet. 3:16. 

To rightly divide the Word of truth it is necessary to 
keep in mind the following: 

1. That God has given two distinct covenants, the Old 
and the New Testaments. — Heb. 8:6, 7. 

2. That in the light of changed conditions, God in His 
wisdom saw fit to forbid in the New some things that were 
commanded in the Old.— Matt. 5:38, 39; Ex. 21:23-25; Jer. 
31:31, 32; Heb. 7:12. 

3. That the Old Testament was the rule of life to Israel 
up to the time of Christ's death on the cross. — Gal. 3 :23-25 ; 
Col. 2:14; Eph. 2:14, 15. 

4. That the New Testament is now the rule for Christian 
conduct until Christ comes. — II Cor. 3 :6 ; II Thes. 1 :7, 8. 

5. That the Christian has the Old as a mine of rich 
instruction, essential to the proper understanding of the New. 
—I Cor. 10:11; Gal. 3:24, 25. 

6. That the Old was taken away that the New might be 
established as our only rule of life. — Heb. 10 :9, 10 ; Gal. 1 :8, 
9. 

7. That those who persist in substituting Old Testament 
doctrine for New Testament teaching subvert the souls of 
their hearers.— Acts 15:24; Tit. 1:9-11. 

Had these facts always been observed, the Church would 
never have been cursed with war, slavery, divorce and 
polygamy, nor persisted in following the Old Testament in the 
oath and trample under foot the plain commandments of 
Christ. 

"What Saith the Scripture?" 

The first mention of the oath in the Old Testament is in 
Gen. 21 :23, where a heathen king prevails upon Abraham to 
swear in the name of God that he will not deal falsely with 
him or his people. 

The first mention of the oath in the New Testament is in 
Matt. 5:33-37., where Jesus sets forth the fact that the Old 



554 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Testament allowed and regulated the oath but He forbids all 
swearing whatsoever. 

God took oaths in Old Testament times (Gen. 22:16; Psa. 
110:4) but He nowhere confirms a New Testament promise 
with an oath. 

Angels took oaths in the olden times (Dan. 12:7), and will 
again when the Gospel times are ended (Rev. 10:6), but in the 
numerous communications between angels and men, under the 
Gospel, nowhere is it recorded where an angel swears. 

God commanded Israel to swear in Jlis name (Deut. 6:13; 
10:20), but the Savior forbids it to Christians as plainly as it 
was commanded to the Jews (Matt. 5:33-37). 

In the Old Testament, where the oath was commanded, 
we find its use was common among God's people and regulated 
by the Scriptures; while in the New Testament we do not 
find Christians swearing in any way, neither do we find any 
regulations for Christian oaths, from the fact that all forms 
of oaths are forbidden. Under the old covenant, by divine 
authority, the oath was in common use ; but under the new 
covenant, by divine restriction, there is not one case in the 
divine record where Christians took the oath. 

To adjure means "to charge upon pain of a curse." The 
word is used in the New Testament three times : once by the 
high priest who condemned Christ (Matt. 26:63), once by the 
devils cast out by Him (Mark 5:7), and once by the vagabond 
Jews (Acts 19:3) — but not once by Christ or Christians. 

In the New Testament the word oath is found about 
thirteen times : three times of Herod, five times of Old Testa- 
ment oaths, once of Peter's profanity (Matt. 26:72), once of 
"men" (Heb. 6:16), once of Jews, once where Jesus condemns 
it, and once where James forbids it — but not once of Christian 
practice. 

The word szvear is found in the New Tetstament about 
twenty times: twelve times by Christ and James to condemn it, 
five times of Old Testament oaths, once of "men," once of 
Herod, and once of Peter's profanity — but not once of Christian 
practice. . 



SWEARING OF OATHS 555 

In the Old Testament where swearing was commanded, it 
was used alike by the righteous and by the wicked; while in 
the New Testament, where it is forbidden, it is used only by 
the wicked. The affirmation, however, which is a simple 
declaration and in harmony with Christ's teachings, is used by 
Christians. Paul affirms (Acts 25:19) and wills that Titus 
affirm constantly (Tit. 3:8), and Rhoda affirms (Acts 12:15). 
They did not even swear on so weighty a matter as the 
resurrection. Acts 25 :19. 

The oath was necessary in Israel because of the natural 
tendency in unregenerate men to bear false witness under 
pressure of circumstances; and it was effective from the f act- 
that there was begotten in them such a dread and reverence for 
the holy name of God by the terrible judgments that fell from 
time to time upon the irreverent that they even feared to use 
the name of God at all in common conversation. When an oath 
therefore was administered in the name of God who knows the 
secrets of men's hearts (Psa. 44:21) and punished the irrever- 
ent with sudden death (Num. 26:61), even the least disposed 
would tremble and tell the truth. 

When the Gospel came into effect and men received new 
hearts (Ezek. 36:26, 27), were- made partakers of the divine 
nature (II Pet. 1:4), and filled with the Spirit of truth (Jno. 
14:17), the oath was no longer necessary. The true Christian 
speaks the truth from an inward principle, and oaths and 
penalties only cast a shadow upon his integrity. 

In this that God gave the oath to Israel, under conditions 
in which it was necessary and effective, and withholds it from 
the Christian Church where these conditions no longer exist, it 
only shows the divine wisdom and gives to those that come 
into the light a greater confidence and a firmer faith. 

Now in the Gospel age God does not commonly smite the 
irreverent with immediate death, as in the olden time (Lev. 10 \ 
1, 2), but reserves them until the day of judgment to be 
punished (II Pet. 2:9); therefore they put far away the evil 
day and curse, swear and blaspheme in highway, field, and "top 
of every street." Having outgrown the ignorance and supersti- 



556 BTBUE DOCTRINE 

tion of the heathen and the reverence that restrained the Jew r 
the oath to such is made of no effect, as is established by the 
testimony of many judges and the manifest perjuries in all the 
courts of the world. Adam Clarke says, "An oath will not 

bind a knave or a liar; and an honest man needs none "" 

But as a sample of the amazing blindness of learned expositors 
we find him placing the qualified statement of the heathen 
Epictetus ("Swear not at all, if possible; if you can not avoid 
it, do it as little as you can" — Enchir. c 44) ahead of the clear 
and unqualified commandment of Christ, "Swear not at all." 

Questions and Answers 

1. God is "the same yesterday, today and forever." How 
then can His law be changed? 

God is unchangeable in nature and attributes, but changes 
His law and attitude to meet the changed conditions in man. 
In Jer. 31:31 the prophet foretells a change, in Heb. 7:12 anj- 
apostle declares the necessity of it, and in the Sermon on the 
Mount the Savior gives examples of it. 

2. // God, angels and holy people have taken oaths, how- 
can it be wrong for us? 

Some things are wrong in trfemselves, and no law can make 
them right. God Himself can not lie, from the fact that the 
moral law can not be changed. The oath evidently belongs to 
the other class of things that are right or wrong, depending 
upon the will and law of such as have the right to govern. 
When God in His wisdom commanded the Jews to swear by 
His name (Deut. 6:13) it made it right for them to do so. 
And when He saw fit to forbid all swearing to Christian people 
(Matt. 5:33-37), it certainly makes it wrong for them to swear. 
It is a mistake to think that all things that were right under 
the law are right under the Gospel. Under the Old Testament 
it was right to call down fire from heaven upon the 'enemy (II 
Kings 1 :12) ; under the New Testament it is forbidden (Luke 
9:54). 

3. Did Christ not approve the oath zvhen He answered 
under the adjuration of the high priest? 



SWEARING OF OATHS 557 

He was also adjured by a man possessed with devils ; but 
it is only reasonable to believe that He was consistent with His 
teaching, and ignored them both. 

4. Docs not Paul give the oath his approval in Heb. 6:16? 
If Paul had said, "We verily swear by the greater," and 

"an oath is to us an end of all strife," it would indeed have 
weight ; but as it stands, the wording itself evidently limits it 
to the world. When Paul here speaks of a sanctioned oath, he- 
says "men" "to them ;" but where James speaks of a forbidden 
oath he says, "My brethren." Jas. 5 :12. 

5. Did not Paul take oath in II Cor. 1:23? "Moreover I 
call God for a record upon my soul?'' 

We are told that Paul has written some things hard to 
understand and are warned against the danger of wrong 
interpretation. II Pet 3:15, 16. Suppose that Paul did here 
take an oath (which he did not) — the conduct of an apostle is-, 
nowhere claimed to be perfect, but the commandments of the* 
Lord are. If therefore we should be compelled to decide 
between the doing of an apostle and the commandment of 
Christ, our duty would certainly lie with the latter. The very- 
essence of an oath is the invoking of a special curse upon: 
unfaithfulness, no trace of which we see in Paul's words, but- 
only an invocation to God to record things as they are.. 

6. What is the difference between an oath and an affirma- 
tion? 

That there is a difference is clear from the fact that the 
New Testament forbids the one and sanctions the other. Jas. 
5:12; Tit. 3:8. The affirmation is a simple declaration, with- 
out uplifted hand or other ceremony, while an oath is a declara- 
tion associated with words or ceremonies that imply the invok- 
ing of a curse in case of perjury. "God do so and more also 
to me if the head of Elisha .... shall stand on him this day" 
(II Kings 6:31), was a common form of oath, while Paul's 
simple statement of the resurrection of Christ, as in x\cts 26: 
23, is called an affirmation. Acts 25:19. 

7. Was it not simply profane swearing that Christ meant 
to condemn? 



558 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Jesus (Matt. 5:33-37) forbids what once was lawful, the 
profane oath was never lawful. James certainly covers the 
whole ground when he forbids swearing by heaven or earth or 
any other oath. Oaths for confirmation, being more than 
"yea" and "nay" are manifestly condemned by both. 

8. Why did God take oath, seeing that He is free from 
ignorance, superstition and dishonesty? 

God can not lie, and therefore the oath was not for His 
sake, or to make the promise more sure, but evidently to 
secure the confidence of the people, who by experience with 
men had come to lightly esteem all promises unconfirmed by 
an oath. 

9. The most learned expositors of Scripture do not con- 
sider all swearing to be wrong. 

The opinions of the learned are valuable only in propor- 
tion to the Scripture proof that they can produce in support 
of them. In the time of Christ there were "the wise and the 
prudent" who rejected His doctrine, and to the "unlearned" 
fishermen the truth was revealed. 

10. In what light should we consider the action of Christ 
in cursing the fig tree*' 

To curse is God's prerogative. Uninspired man has 
neither the authority, wisdom nor power to pronounce an 
effective curse,. for "he can not make one hair white or black." 

11. What is the duty of one who has promised under 
oath zvhat he finds afterwards to be unscriptural? 

No promise to sin is binding before God. Lev. 5 :4, 5. 

12. What should be our course when officers of the lazv 
demand the oath? 

In the leading nations provisions have been made exempt- 
ing conscientious persons from the oath. But in any case "we 
ought to obey God rather than man," and, if necessary, suffer 
for Christ's sake rather than to sin. 

Conclusion 
To give the words of Christ full weight and abstain from 
all oaths can not bring condemnation upon the soul ; but if 
the teaching of Christ and Tames is not to be discounted then 



SWEARING OF OATHS 559 

all who swear in any sense, whether it be profanely, collo- 
quially, judicially, or in printed form, are certainly transgress- 
ors. Let the absolute truthfulness of real religion be preserved, 
that even the world may see that the Christian speaks the 
truth from inward principle and not from outward pressure. 

Profanity is one" of the greatest sins against God in 
that it simply gives place to anger, hatred and irreverence. 
They who lie and steal and kill do so for some personal 
advantage ; but he who uses profanity, as one has said, "bites 
at the bare hook of God Almighty's wrath!" In the Old 
Testament it was punishable by death (Lev. 24:16), and such 
as sin in this way against the added Gospel light must treasure 
up against their souls a terrible condemnation against the day 
of wrath. Rom. 2 :5. 

The Savior rebuked the Jews as hypocrites for carefully 
abstaining from the use of God's name in their oaths but 
using substitutes that implied as much (Matt. 23:16-22); and 
shall not the same condemnation rest upon those who have 
the spirit of profanity in their hearts but hope to escape guilt 
of it through using "by-words" somewhat similar to the 
common forms of profanity used by hardened sinners? Let us 
remember that for every idle word that men shall speak they 
must give account in the day of judgment (Matt. 12:36), and 
therefore endeavor to have our speech "always with grace, 
seasoned with salt." 



CHAPTER VIII 

SECRET SOCIETIES 

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful 
works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For 
it is a shame even to speak of those things which 
are done of them in secret. — Eph. 5:11,12. 

The purpose of this chapter shall be to set forth in good 
faith the principles in which secrecy is fundamentally wrong 
and then to show that the proper attitude of the Christian 
Church toward the Lodge is that of absolute separation. It 
will not be possible in this brief compass to point out every 
evil in modern secrecy. Neither is it needful to discuss the 
initiations, obligations, and rites of the three hundred or more 
secret orders of the world. It will be sufficient for our 
present purpose to observe the more apparent evils of the 
more common orders. 

Accepting as true the testimony of hundreds of seceding 
lodgemen ; accepting as correct the printed rituals of the 
leading lodges; accepting as a witness the testimony of lodge- 
men themselves relative to the nature and character of their 
lodges; in a word, suspending judgment until the evidence is 
all in, we unhesitatingly make the proposition that no man can 
be a consistent and true Christian and at the same time be a 
true and consistent member of any of the leading secret, oath- 
bound fraternities. 

When we say "leading fraternities," we mean such as the 
Freemasons, Oddfellows, Knights of Pythias, Modern Wood- 
men, the Elks, the Red Men, and others. The above proposi- 
tion we propose to defend upon the ground that the character, 
spirit, and workings of modern secrecy are fundamentally 
anti-Christian. 



SECRET SOCIETIES 561 

The Foundations of the Lodge 

The foundations of secrecy are fundamentally anti- 
Christian. The Christian Church is founded upon Jesus 
Christ and upon Him alone (I Cor. 3:11; Matt. 16:18), while 
the Lodge is founded upon something else. Take Free- 
masonry, for example: In Mackey's Ritualist (P. 68), Mackey 
says in giving the charge at initiation into the first degree : 
'"No institution was ever raised on a better principle or more 
solid foundation ; nor were more excellent rules or useful 
maxims laid clown than are inculcated in the several Masonic 
lectures." 

For the foundation on which the superstructure of Mason- 
ry is erected, we quote from the by-laws of the Canton 
Lodge, No. 60 (Canton, O.). In speaking of the seven liberal 
arts and sciences, the Monitor says : "Geometry, the first, and 
noblest of sciences, is the basis on which the superstructure 
of Masonry is erected" (page 56). In giving the moral 
advantage, it says : "By geometry we may curiously trace 
nature through her various windings to her most concealed 
recesses. By it we discover the power, wisdom and goodness 
of the Grand Artificer of the Universe, and view with delight 
the proportions which connect this vast machinery" (page 57). 

Taking the verbal testimony from the lips of Masonry 
herself, the most humble person can see that she claims 
geometry for her foundation as well as her means for finding 
God. The Christian Church has Christ for her foundation and 
the Holy Spirit for her guide. 

But we are advised at once by lodge men that their 
institution is founded upon the Bible. In answer to this 
. apology, we need simply to quote Chase, one of the oldest and 
best Masonic authorities. He says on this point : "To require 
that a candidate profess a belief in the divine authenticity of 
the Bible or a state of future rewards and punishments, is a 
serious innovation in the very body of Masonry ****** 
It is anti-Masonic to require any religious test, other than that 
the candidate should believe in a god, the creator and governor 



562 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

of the universe. ***** ^phe Jews, the Chinese, the Turks, 
each reject the New Testament, or the Old, or both, and yet 
we see no good reason why they should not be made Masons. 
In fact, Blue Lodge Masonry has nothing whatever to do with 
the Bible. It is not founded on the Bible ; if it was it would 
not be Masonry; it would be something else" (Digest of 
Masonic Law, page 206). 

Again, Mackey says, in giving the XXI Landmark of 
Masonry, that "It is a landmark that a 'Book of the Law r 
shall constitute an indispensable part of the furniture of every 
lodge. I say advisedly, a Book of the Law, because it is not • 
absolutely required that everywhere the Old and New Testa- 
ment shall be used. The Book of the Law is that volume 
which, by the religion of the country, is believed to contain the* 
revealed will of the Grand Architect of the universe. Hence 
in all lodges in Christian countries, the Book of the Law is 
composed of the Old and New Testaments ; in a country 
where Judaism is the prevailing faith, the Old Testament 
alone would be sufficient; and in Mohammedan countries, and 
among Mohammedan Masons, the Koran might be substituted. 
Masonry does not attempt to interfere with the peculiar 
religious faith of its disciples " (Masonic Juris- 
prudence, page 33). 

So it is at once clear from the words of the greatest 
Masonic authorities that the Bible is not, and never was, the 
foundation of their institution ; that Jesus Christ was not 
their chief corner-stone, and that the Holy Spirit is not their 
guide into the truth. What is true concerning the Masonic 
lodge is to a great extent true of all other leading lodges. 

Secrecy 
The secrecy of the Lodge is anti-Christian. Secrecy is 
among the first obligations laid upon the initiate. Mackey 
says again in his Ritualist, page 30, "The duty of an Entered 
Apprentice is embraced in the virtues of silence and secrecy." 
Christ said, "I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in 
the synagogue and in the temple whither the Jews always 



SECRET SOCIETIES 563 

resort; and in secret have I said nothing" (Jno. 18:20). 
Again Jesus said: "Let your light so shine before men, that 
they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which 
is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). Paul said: "Provide things 
honest in the sight of all men" (Rom. 12:17). 

The secrecy of the Lodge is diametrically opposed to the 
Gospel spirit of publicity. The whole spirit of the Gospel is 
that of honesty and publicity, rather than that of deceitful- 
ness and secrecy. Every act and deed of the Christian should 
stand the test of light and publicity. 

Respect of Persons 

As a respecter of persons the Lodge is anti-Christian. 
God says, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the 
earth" (Isa. 5:22). Jesus says, "Him that cometh to me I 
will in no wise cast out" (Jno. 6:37). Again Jesus said, 
"Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I 
will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). With God and Jesus 
Christ all men stand on a common level. The Christian 
Church refuses no man, rich or poor, white or black, old or 
young. The Church has an open door for all who need help. 
"Whosoever will" may come to the waters of life and drink 
freely. The Lodge has an open door for a select few who 
can pass a given physical examination. The Lodge has an 
open door for a select number who can quite comfortably care 
for themselves and pay their dues. The Lodge is a respecter 
of persons. 

To carry this point a little further, we will take for 
•example the obligation of the Royal Arch Mason : "Further- 
more do I promise and swear that I will aid and assist a 
companion Royal Arch Mason, when engaged in any difficulty, 
and espouse his cause, so far as to extricate him from the 
same, if in my power, whether he be right or wrong. Also 
that I will promote a companion Royal Arch Mason's political 
preferment in preference to another of equal qualifications." 

On the same point President Finney says : "Let it be 
•distinctly pressed upon their conscience that all Masons above 



'564 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

the first two degrees have solemnly sworn to conceal each 
other's crimes, murder and treason alone excepted, and all 
above the sixth degree have sworn to conceal each other's 
crimes without exception. All above the sixth degree have 
sworn to espouse each other's cause and deliver them from 
any difficulty, whether they be right or wrong" (Freemasonry, 
page 267). 

The Lodge is a respecter of persons in extending its 
charity, so called, to only a select few ; she is a respecter of 
persons in preferring her own members to any one else of 
equal, and in many cases, higher and nobler qualifications. 
She is a respecter of persons in standing by and defending 
her own members, whether they be right or wrong, and in 
so doing she establishes two standards of morals. How then, 
may we ask, can a Christian be faithful to his calling and at 
the same time be a faithful and consistent member of the 
Lodge? The thought of such a thing is absurd. 

The Lodge's God 

The god of Modern Secrecy is not the God of the 
Christian. When the Christian speaks of God he means : 
"The personal Spirit, perfectly good, who creates, sustains 
and orders the universe according to the wise, holy and loving 
character and purpose revealed in Jesus Christ; and who, 
through His Spirit, indwelling in man, is ever at work in the 
world, calling men out of their sin and misery into the 
kingdom of God, and, by His redemptive grace, transforming 
individuals and society into the likeness of Christ. The name 
which best expresses His character, and which, since Christ, 
has become the characteristic Christian name for God, is 
Father" (Brown, page 98). 

The XIX Landmark of Freemasonry says : "Every Mason 
must believe in the existence of God as the Grand Architect 
of the universe" (Mackey, Jurisprudence, page 32). Chase 
says: "It is anti-Masonic to require any religious test, other 
than that the candidate should believe in a god, the Creator 
and Governor of the universe" (Digest, page 206). 



SECRET SOCIETIES 565 

Jt is evident that the god of modern secrecy is deistic. 
He is a great carpenter, a bricklayer, or stone mason, who 
built the universe and then went away and left it practically 
alone. The god of secrecy is not the immiment God of the 
Christian who is ordering and controlling the universe in its 
utmost details. The god of secrecy is not the God of love, 
i?ot the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, not the Good Spirit 
who is leading men out of sin and misery into His kingdom. 
How. then, can a man be faithful to the god of secrecy and 
the God of the Christian at the same time? Is it not absurd 
for a man to undertake such a thing? 

Lodge Oaths 

The oaths, obligations and penalties of modern secrecy 
are anti-Christian. The Entered Apprentice Mason takes 

the following or a similar oath : "I , of my own 

free will and accord, in the presence of Almighty God, and 
this worshipful lodge, erected to Him and dedicated to the 
Holy Saint John, do hereby and hereon, most solemnly and 
sincerely promise and swear that I will always hail, ever 
conceal and never reveal any of the secret arts, parts or points 
of the hidden mysteries of Ancient Masonry, which have been 
heretofore, may at this time, or shall in any future period, be 
communicated to me as such, to any person or persons whom- 
soever, except it be a true and lawful brother Mason, or 
within a regularly constituted lodge of Masons, and neither 
unto him or them, until by strict trial, due examination, or 
legal information, I shall have found him or them as lawfully 
entitled to the same as myself. 

"I, furthermore, promise and swear that I will not write, 
print, paint, stain, cut, carve, make or engrave them, nor cause 
the same to be done, upon anything movable or immovable, 
capable of receiving the least impression of a word, syllable, 
letter or character, whereby the same may become legible or 
intelligible to any person under the canopy of heaven, and the 
secrets of Freemasonry be thereby unlawfully obtained through 
my unworthiness. 



566 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

"To all this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and 
swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to keep and 
perform the same, without any equivocation, mental reserva- 
tion or secret evasion of mind whatever, binding myself under 
no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my 
tongue torn out by its roots and buried in the rough sands of 
the sea at low water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice 
in twenty four hours, should I ever knowingly and willingly 
violate this, my solemn oath or obligation, as an Entered 
Apprentice Mason. So help me God and keep me steadfast 
in the due performance of the same."' 

The Fellow Craft Mason repeats the above and takes in 
addition a number more under the following penalty : "To all 
this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a 
firm and steadfast resolution to keep and perform the same, 
without any equivocation, mental reservation or secret evasion 
of mind whatever, binding myself under no less penalty than 
that of having my left breast torn open, my heart plucked out 
and given as a prey to the beasts of the field and the fowls of 
the air, should I ever knowingly violate this, my solemn 
obligation of a Fellow Craft Mason. So help me God, and/ 
keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same." 

The Thrice Illustrious Knight of the Cross swears as 
follows . "You furthermore, swear that should you know 
another to violate any essential point of this obligation you 
will use your most decided endeavors, by the blessing of 
God, to bring such person to the strictest and most condign 
punishment, agreeable to the rules and usages of our ancient 
fraternity, and this, by pointing him out to the world as an 
unworthy vagabond, by opposing his interest, by deranging 
his business, by transferring his character after him wheiever 
he may go, and by exposing him to the contempt of the whole 
fraternity and of the world, during his whole natural life." 
To all this he swears, "Under no less infamous penalty than 
dying the death of a traitor, by having a spear or other sharp 
instrument like our divine Master, thrust into your left side. 



SECRET SOCIETIES 567 

bearing testimony even in death, of the power and justice of 
the Mark of the Holy Cross." 

In the Rank of Page, the Knight of Pythias says: "1 
solemnly promise that I will never reveal the pass-word, grip, 
signs or any other secret or mystery of this rank, except in a 
lodge of this order, recognized by, and under the control of the 
Supreme Lodge, Knights of Pythias of the World, or when 
being examined by the proper officers of the Lodge, or by one 
wh^m I know to be a member of this rank " 

"I furthermore promise that I will obey the laws and so 
far a? possible, comply with the requirements of the order 
I furthermore promise that I will heed the teachings of this 
rank and seek to profit thereby, and as I meet the members 
of this order, I will endeavor to exemplify, in my conduct ^r.d 
my demeanor toward them, the principles of friendship em- 
bodied in the lesson of tonight. To the faithful observance 
of this obligation I pledge my sacred word of honor. So help 
me God and keep me steadfast." 

These are but a few of the oaths and obligations of two 
of the leading lodges ; a hundred more might as easily be 
given. But these are sufficient to reveal the character of such 
oaths and obligations and to show their anti-Christian nature. 
When compared with the call and duties of the Christian it 
again reveals the absurdity of a Christian allowing himself to 
be led into a lodge room, stripped of his clothing, blindfolded 
and finally allowing a padlock to be placed upon his lips, tx> 
remain there through all his natural life. 

Anti-Christian Prayers 

Lodge prayers are anti-Christian. We have not found 
yet a lodge prayer which recognizes Christ, either as the Son 
of God, or as the divine and eternal Redeemer of the world. 
Lodge prayers when prayed according to the rituals, are 
Christless. Prayer for the forgiveness of sins is unknown in 
ritualistic lodge prayers. Other things are substituted. 

Take for example the prayer at the opening of the Grand 
Lodge. One paragraph runs as follows : "Enlighten, we be- 



568 BIBLE DOCTRIXE 

seech thee, the dark corners of the earth with the rays of our 
benevolent institution" (not with Christ, His Gospel, or the 
Holy Spirit; "that all the ends of the world may know thee 
and every human being be taught to love his fellow men" 
(Mackey's Ritualist, page 18). 

Again, the prayer at the initiation of the Entered Appren- 
tice : "Vouchsafe thine aid, Almighty Father of the Universe, 
to this our present convention, and grant that this candidate 
for Masonry may dedicate and devote his life to Thy service, 
to become a true and faithful brother among us. Endue him 
with a competency of Thy divine wisdom, that by the secrets 
of our art he may be better enabled to display the beauties of 
godliness to the honor of Thy holy name'' (Mackey's Ritualist, 
page 24). 

Also, the opening prayer of the Knight of Pythias: "Su- 
preme Ruler of the Universe, we humbly ask Thy blessing 
upon the officers and members of this lodge. Aid us to avoid 
anger and dissension; help us to work together in the spirit 
of fraternity; and inspire us to exemplify the friendship of 
Damon and Pythias. Hear and answer us we beseech Thee. 
Amen." 

Once more, the invocation of the ''Red Men :" ''O Thou 
Great Spirit of the Universe, good and powerful as Thou art. 
whose power is displayed in the splendor of the sun, the 
glories of the night, the foliage of the forest, the roaring of 
the rivers and the great waters of the deep, look down from 
Thy majestic throne of grace and shed Thy bounties upon all 
true Red Men. Do Thou, Great Spirit, inspire each Red 
Man's breast with that holy courage which will teach him to 
paddle his own canoe safely to that undiscovered country from 
whose bourn no traveler returns." Or again in the closing 
invocation : "O Thou Great Spirit, we acknowledge Thy 
wisdom and goodness toward the Red Men of our tribe. We 
ask Thee to watch over us through the slumbers of the night, 
and while following the hunt. Guard us from all harm, succor 
the distressed, feed the hungry and clothe the poor. Do Thou, 
Great Spirit, impress upon each Red Man's heart, to bear 



SECRET SOCIETIES 569 

patiently the lot assigned him on earth, so that, when he is 
called from the hunting grounds of his fathers he may meet 
the shaft of death with unwavering courage, and feel assured 
that Thou wilt sustain him through the dark valley of the 
shadow of death. Hear us, O Great Spirit!" 

In these prayers there is no recognition of Christ as the 
Son of God ; no repentance or confession of sin ; in fact 
there is missing every essential point which makes the Chris- 
tian prayer. This being the evident state of things, how can 
a Christian be a member of, or even in sympathy with, such 
an institution, and at the same time be faithful to God? 

The Lodge Idea of Heaven 

Finally, the heaven of the Lodge is not the Christian 
heaven. We take again the prayer used in the funeral 
service of the Freemasons. Omitting a few lines, the prayer 
proceeds as follows : "May the present instance of mortality 
sensibly remind us of our approaching fate, and may it have 
an influence to wean our affections from this transitory world, 
and to fix them more devotedly on Thee, the only sure refuge 
in time of need. And at last, Great Parent of the Universe, 
when our journey shall be near to its end; when the silver 
cord shall be loosed, and the golden bowl be broken, O, in 
that mortal extremity, may the lamp of Thy love dispel the 
gloom of the dark valley, and may we be enabled to ( zvork an 

entrance' into the celestial Lodge above " (Canton 

Lodge, page 22). 

While most lodges differ in their teaching on the future 
world, yet they are alike in this, that they do not teach the 
Christian view of heaven. A faithful lodgeman is said to go 1 
at his death, to the "celestial lodge above," or to the happy 
hunting ground, or to some similar place, regardless of his 
relation to Christ or to. the Christian Church. It does not 
take a great intellect to know that a man cannot be a true 
Christian and a lodge member at the same time. 

Thus we have found the lodge to be fundamentally anti- 
Christian in its foundations, in its secrecy, in its respect for 



570 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

persons, in its god, in its oaths and obligations, in its prayers' 
and in its heaven. The question is, What should be 

The Attitude of the Church toward the Lodge 

If the Church would maintain Her purity in doctrine and 
practice; if she would maintain her power and superiority 
over the world; if she would accomplish the divine purpose of 
her Creator, she must take the attitude of absolute separation 
from secrecy. To establish this position we need only to call 
to the stand the many witnesses of the Word of God concern- 
ing the characteristics of Christ, His followers and the Church. 

1. Christians are under obligation to Christ alone and 
should obligate themselves to no other. "No man can serve 
two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the 
other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other" 
(Matt. 6:24). Lodge oaths and obligations do not bind men 
to Christ, but to men and worldly organizations. 

2- Christians are under obligations to Christ to avoid 
fellowship with sinners in matters social. (Jas. 4:4; I Pet. 
4:3-5. II Cor. 6:14-18.) Very true, Jesus ate with publicans 
and sinners, but He never became a partaker with them in 
sin. To become a lodge member one becomes a partaker of 
other men's sins. The Word of God is clear on the point of 
partaking of other men's sins. Eph. 5 :7, 8. 

3. Christians dare not subject themselves to the in- 
structions of non-Christians in moral questions. No one will 
deny the fact that the Lodge does assume the position of 
teacher on moral questions. This is one of the pre-eminent 
claims of the Lodge. Christ said : "One is your teacher, even 
Christ" (Matt. 23:8). • 

4. Christians are under obligations to recognize the 
way of life advised by Christ and no other. Jesus said, "I 
am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the 
Father but by me" (Jno. 14:6). Again Jesus said, "Except a 
man be born again, he can not see the kingdom of God" (Jno. 
3:3). Two things are plainly taught here: (1) that Christ is 
the way of life; (2) that regeneration, the new birth, is the 



SECRET SOCIETIES 571 

method. Secrecy voluntarily rejects these two principles and 
substitutes works. Grosh, an Odd-fellow authority says, 
"What regeneration by the Word of truth is in religion, 
initiation is in Odd-fellowship." Donaldson says, "He who 
practices this charity (Odd-fellowship) and teaches it to others 
shall be crowned with honor and shall come down to the 
grave in peace and the full assurance of a blessed future." 
The Lodge rejects the way of Christ and prepares one of its 
own. 

5. It is anti-Christian for any man to support any 
institution which is a menace to the state, the home, and 
the soul. Secrecy violates the Constitution of the United 
States. The eighth Article of Amendments forbids the inflic- 
tion of "cruel and unusual punishment." But the Lodge 
threatens, and has inflicted, such punishments. The sixth 
Article requires, "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused 
shall enjoy the right of a speedy and public trial by an 
impartial jury of the state . ..." How can a jury of Fre^ 
Masons constitute an impartial jury for a brother mason? 
The Lodge is a menace to the home in that it separates man 
and wife because it binds either one to secrets which they are 
not permitted to reveal to the other. It is a menace to the 
soul because it rejects Christ. On these three points the 
Word of God declares : That men be subject to the higher 
powers, and that they render unto Caesar the things which 
are Caesar's (Rom. 13: If. Matt. 22:21); that men love their 
wives (Col. 3:19); that men who have Christ have life 
eternal (Jno. 1:12). 

6. Christians are forbidden to take oaths. Lodges, 
especially Free Masonry, require men to take oaths. In this 
Secrecy violates the principles of Jesus. "Swear not at all ..." 
(Matt. 5:34) is the command of Christ. No man can take and 
keep the Masonic oath and be a Christian. 

7. Men of God are forbidden to obligate themselves to 
things secret of which they are still ignorant, whether those 
things be good or evil. Very few lodges, if any, reveal their 
secrets to the initiate until after he has obligated himself to 



572 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

keep secret anything which may be given to him or may take 
place during the initiation. But the Word of God says, "Or 
if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do 
good, whatsoever it shall be that a man shall pronounce with 
an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then 
he shall be guilty in one of these. And it shall be, when he 
shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that 
he hath sinned in that thing" (Lev. 5:4-5). It is always 
anti-Christian for one man to enslave his conscience to that 
of another. 

8. It is anti-Christian to support or promote the prac- 
tice of respect of persons. Lodgery is but a refined form of 
caste system : and this thing is condemned by the Word of 
God. Acts 10:34 Jas. 1:1-10. The Lodge is a respecter of 
persons in matters of charity. In fact the "charity" of the 
lodge is not charity. Lodge men pay dues with the expectation 
of receiving more. This, so far as charity is concerned, is 
anti-Christian. Luke 6:34-35. The Lodge fails in Christian 
charity in that it is not "In the name of the Lord Jesus" (Col. 
3:17) ; neither is it in the "Name of a disciple" (Matt. 10:42). 
Lodge charity is but a method of insurance, insuring a select 
few while Christian charity does "good to all men" (Gal. 6:10: 
Horn. 12:20). 

9. It is anti-Christian to promote or accept titles of 
honor. Modern secrecy is filled with high-sounding, flatter- 
ing, congratulatory, parasitical and greatly inflated titles: 
"Worshipful Master," "Noble Grand," "Past Grand Patri- 
arch," "Chancellor Commander" and numerous others are a 
violation of the principles of Jesus. (See Matt. 23:8-10.) 

10. Christians are subject to the Bible as their written 
guide in life. Lodges, Masonry more particularly, take as 
their Bible any book which may happen to be the sacred book 
of the people or nation to which it may happen to come. 
The Bible for Masonry is nothing more than a piece of "furni- 
ture." For the Christian the Word of God is our guide. 
"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his ways? by taking 
heed thereto according to thy Word" (Psa. 119:9). "Thy 



SECRET SOCIETIES 573 

Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against 
thee" (Psa. 119:11). 

11. Christians are directed to pray through Christ and 
in His name. ''And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name 
that will I do" (Jno. 14:13). Lodge prayers are not in the 
name of Christ. All authorities on modern secrecy know that 
i he name of Christ is not only neglected but purposely rejected. 
It is inconsistent with lodgery to offer any prayer in the name 
of Christ. 

12. Christians are under obligations to follow Christ in 
the matter of publicity of life and non-secrecy. Jesus said : 
"In secret have , I said nothing" (Jno. 18:20). The principle 
of secrecy is wrong. It is anti-scientific and anti-Christian. 
Any scientist who discovers anything of value to mankind is 
under obligation to give that to mankind. Any organization 
which has anything of value to mankind and refuses to give 
to mankind is a menace to a country. Anything which will 
not stand the test of light and publicity is not a thing for a 
Christian. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may 
see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven" 
(Matt. 5:16). The Lodge has no one to accuse but herself 
it men become suspicious of her. Men have a perfect riglu 
to be suspicious of any institution which runs on the princin 1 ^ 
of secrecy. What would our lodge friends say if our banking 
institutions, charitable institutions and Churches were run on 
the same principle as is the Lodge — behind closed doors, and 
refusing inspection? 

Men do not go in secret for nothing. Paul knew perfectly 
well that it was "A shame to speak of those things which are 
done of them in secret" (Eph. 5:11, 12). 

These are but a few of the many indictments which may 
be brought against modern Secret Societies. One might 
proceed indefinitely with other charges, but this is not needful. 
An institution which is fundamentally wrong should be avoided 
by every Christian and should be opposed by the Christian 
Church. 

The notion that we might reform the Lodge by urging 



574 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

men to continue the good they are doing and refuse the evil 
means nothing so far as the individuality of the Lodge is 
concerned. An institution which is fundamentally wrong and 
incidentally right can not be reformed and hold its identity. 
An institution which is fundamentally right and incidentally 
wrong may be reformed and hold its identity. The Lodge 
comes under the former class. She is fundamentally wrong 
and to take away the wrong she would not be a Lodge. You 
might as well talk of reforming a saloon. After you have the 
bad out it would no longer be a saloon. 

In conclusion, it should be the duty of every minister of 
the Gospel to investigate the Lodge question and inform his 
people. It should further be remembered that if the Church' 
would remain pure; if she would hold her power with God 
and man; if she would accomplish the purpose of her calling 
she must avoid modern works of darkness ; she must avoid' 
any compromise whatever with the Lodge. 



CHAPTER IX 

LIFE INSURANCE 

There are very few people who have not heard some 
glowing accounts of the benefits of Life Insurance. Fascinat- 
ing appeals have induced many to take out policies on their 
lives, and others are halting between two opinions. In this 
chapter we ask our readers to look at the subject with an 
unbiased mind, to carefully weigh 'the truths presented in the 
light of Scripture and good business sense, and in the language 
of Paul to "prove all things; hold fast that which is good." 
In this chapter we have chosen to consider Life Insurance (1) 
from a religious standpoint, (2) from a social standpoint, (3) 
from a business or financial standpoint. 

From a Religious Standpoint 

"But if any provide not for his own, and especially for 
those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse 
than an infidel" (I Tim. 5:8). 

We introduce this part with a quotation which life 
insurance men are fond of repeating and misconstruing into 
an argument in favor of their business. Some well-meaning 
people who are averse to the covetous appeals made to them 
will, like Eve in the Garden, listen to the quoting of God's 
Word and like her will also be deceived. Notice the text and 
the context carefully, and you will see that there is not a word 
there in favor of Life Insurance. 

An Exposition of I Tim. 5 :8. — In the Scripture under 
consideration Paul gives the information concerning the treat- 
ment and care of widows. Different classes of widows are 
spoken of: (1) The "widow indeed." She is described as 
"being "desolate;" that is, quite alone in the world — no husband, 
no children, no near relatives to minister to her necessities. 



576 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Her hope is set on God, to whom her prayers ascend night and 
day. She is to be supported by the Church. (2) The widow 
who has children or nephews (grandchildren — R. V.), and is 
. not able to support herself, should be supported by them. 
They should not expect the Church, nor life insurance com- 
panies, nor any one else to support her, but they should ''shew 
piety at home.'"' Natural affection will cause most people to 
care for their own, so that widowed parents will not come to 
want. If some should not, then let them learn that to show 
piety toward their own family, for to "requite their parents" 
is a paramount duty. To ignore this plain duty is to deny 
the first principles of Christianity, which is the gospel of love 
and duty, and to fall below the level of unbelievers, most of 
whom recognize the duty of providing for parents in want. 
Hence the quotation, "If any provide not for his own, and 
especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the 
faith, and is worse than an infidel." 

The Work of the Church. — God has provided ways and 
means for providing for all His people, spiritually and 
temporally, and whenever His rules and principles are applied 
His people are well cared for. Any man-made substitute to 
provide and care for our own, instead of God's way, is unsafe,. 
unwise, unscriptural. 

The Christian Church was organized by divine authority,, 
and is God's representative on earth to teach and to practice 
the principles given in His Word, thus to "do good unto all 
men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith" 
(Gal. 6:10). Notice carefully God's plan of supplying 
temporal needs : 

1. Individual industry is enjoined. Let him that stole 
steal no more : but rather let him labor, working with his 
hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to 
him that needeth" (Eph. 4:28). "And that ye study to be 
quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your 
own hands, as we commanded you ; that ye may walk honestly 
toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of 
nothing" (I Thess. 4:11, 12). "For even when we were with 



LIFE INSURANCE 577 

you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, 
neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some 
which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are 
busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort 
by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and 
eat their own bread" (II Thess. 3:10-12). 

By reading these texts (others also might have been 
quoted) we see that every one is to be industrious and provide 
for himself, and not to scheme dishonestly to make some one 
else support him or his own. 

2. Where individuals are in need, i. e., where they can 
not provide for themselves, then those of their oivn household 
are to supply their needs. (See I Tim. 5:4, 8.) 

3. The body of believers, both individually and collec- 
tively, are to "do good unto all men, especially unto them who 
are of the household of faith" "Distributing to the necessity 
of saints" (Rom. 12:13). "But to do good and to communi- 
cate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" 
(Heb. 13:16). "That they do good, that they be rich in good 
works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate" (I Tim. 
6:18). "Then the disciples, every man according to his 
ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt 
in Judea : which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the 
hands of Barnabas and Saul" (Acts 11:29, 30). "Neither 
was there any among them that lacked" (Acts 4:34). "But 
whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, 
and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how 
dwelleth the love of God in him" (I Jno. 3:17)? 

Where Life Insurance Falls Short. — How does Life 
Insurance compare with the principles taguht by the above 
scripture texts? 

It is true that there are many life insurance companies, 
and that all have not exactly the same rules. It is also true 
that not one of them is founded upon strictly Gospel principles. 
You may say that this is a strong assertion, but let us briefly 
look into the evidence. 

1. They hold out great inducements to get fortunes with 



578 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

but little investments, thus tempting the covetous ones to invest 
a little with hopes of winning much. The wily agent has on 
his tongue's end a long list of cases where for the payment of 
a few premiums large fortunes were paid over to the widow 
or other policy holders. Remember, however, that no company 
pays out more than it gets in. Whenever any one gets more 
than he paid in, then it is a sure thing that others get less 
than they paid in. Your gain (if you are the winner) is made 
up at the expense of your disappointed fellow men, usually 
poor people who are unable to keep up their premiums . This 
certainly is a violation of the Golden Rule. It is nothing less 
than a lottery or game of gambling, with life and death as the 
main elements in the game. 

2. Life Insurance is even more deceptive than a lottery. 
In a lottery it is understood that only a few will be winners, 
while in Life Insurance the idea is held out that you can not 
help but be a winner. The fact is, however, that the majority 
are losers while only the few are enriched. It is safe to 
assert that the business would soon come to an end if insurance 
agents made it a rule to guarantee to refund, dollar for 
dollar, all the money paid in. It is also safe to assert that if 
all the money paid on lapsed policies were refunded dollar for 
dollar, that no life insurance company in existence could long 
survive at the present methods of doing business. If then the 
vast majority have taken out policies with the motive of 
getting something without paying a just equivalent, or to be 
enriched by the losses of their disappointed fellow men, then 
they are guilty whether they gain or lose. Their motives will 
not bear the test of honesty. Because Life Insurance is now 
regulated by state laws is no conclusive reason that God 
approves of it. Saloons also, and other institutions of 1 
iniquity, are regulated by state laws, but you readily pronounce 
them sinful and unrighteous. 

3. Their claims to charity are deceptive. We heard an 
agent say recently, "Many thousands of widows and orphans 
are each year placed in comfortable circumstances by life 
insurance companies." Accepting his statement as true, we 



LIFE INSURANCE 579 

will investigate a little farther. Many thousands who needed 
help were placed in uncomfortable circumstances by losing 
what they had paid in because poverty compelled them to allow 
their policies to lapse. Others, reduced to penury and want, 
managed by some means to pay their premiums (which money 
would have brought comfort and cheer to the half-fed, half- 
clothed orphans) trying to keep up their premiums until 
Providence would come to their aid and remove some member 
of the family that the hard-earned money of other disappoint- 
ed ones might bring comfort to the home. 

No one can be received as a beneficiary member unless 
he or she can give evidence of good health or ability to pay 
their dues, for awhile at least. Is it charity to keep the, 
premiums paid in by a poor widow, and ' allow her policy to 
lapse because she is too poor to keep it up? Can there be 
any true charity when the company, together with all the 
policy holders, aim to get more money than they pay in? Is 
it charity when they pay only when they are compelled to pay? 

Is it charity to give to those who are not in need but are 
living in luxury, as many of the beneficiaries are? Is it charity 
to give to such persons while those who most need it are 
excluded from the benefits (?) of the company? Is it charity 
when those who conduct the business vote for themselves 
liberal salaries, the presidents of some of the larger companies 
receiving a salary greater than that of the President of the 
United States? 

4. Life Insurance encourages unbelief, the besetting sin 
of mankind. The all-wise God has made provisions for the 
caring of His own in all ages, for time and for eternity. 
"Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; 
and let thy widows trust in me" (Jer. 49:11). "I have been 
young, and now am old ; yet have I not seen the righteous 
forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" (Psa. 37:25). "Be 
content with such things as ye have : for he hath said, I will 
never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Heb. 13:5). "As we have 
therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially 
unto them who are of the household of faith" (Gal. 6:10). "It 



580 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man" 
(Psa. 118:8). 

In the face of all these plain Scripture teachings, and 
many others that might be given along the same line, it is the 
business of life insurance companies to make people disbelieve 
these promises. They say in derision: "We know how God 
cares for them. Look at the poor-houses and orphanages, and 
you have an example of how He cares ;" thus virtually making 
God out a liar (I Jno. 1 :10) and encouraging others to 
disbelieve Goa's Word. 

In Acts 6:1-6 we have an example of the Church making 
provisions for the care of widows. In I Tim. 5 we have 
instructions to children, grandchildren, and the Church in 
providing for their own. In Gal. 6:10 we are admonished to 
do good to all, especially unto them who are of the household 
of faith. 

Some life insurance men tell us that their way is the way 
that God cares for His people. Let us examine that claim a 
little. God says, "Do good unto all men" (Gal. 6:10). Do 
their companies do that? Do they not apply a test right at 
the very beginning that excludes those who are too poor to 
pay their dues or too sickly to give promise of long life? 
Then read on — "those who are of the household of faith." 
Is this the rule among life insurance companies? No indeed — 
the unbeliever, the whore-monger, and every crook who passes 
the physical examination and gives evidence that he can pay 
his dues for a season is preferred to the needy in the Church 
who are not enrolled among their beneficiaries. So it will be 
readily seen that if the insurance way is God's way, then 
God's Word must be wrong and we make the Word untrue — 
again teaching unbelief. 

While it is a general duty of the Church to do good unto 
all men (Gal. 6:10), and especially to care for its own 
members ; and while it is true that churches are sometimes 
derelict in this duty; still God's Word is true that "I will 
never leave thee nor forsake thee." Through the Church (the 
earthly home of God's people) where their spiritual and 



LIFE INSURANCE 581 

temporal needs are intended to be supplied, and through the 
rulers (government — who "is the minister of God to thee for 
good." — Rom. 13 :4) poor houses, infirmaries, asylums, etc.; 
are established; and He cares for humanity — for all people — 
according to His Word. If we can not provide for ourselves, 
and those of our own family or of our household of faith 
can not or WILL NOT care for us, then God cares for us 
through rulers, and we should be very grateful to Him that we 
need not go begging for bread, we should be '"content with 
such things as we have." A thousand times better to live in 
the poorhouse contented and believe and trust God and His 
Word, than to live in luxury upon "wealth gotten by vanity," 
knowing that much of the money that you are now spending 
comes from the hard earnings of many poor, ignorant, 
deceived people whose homes and means and provisions are 
much more scanty and meager than the county poor house. 

5. Life Insurance proposes an unscriptural way of pro- 
viding for our own. 

The uncertainty of life as held out in many scriptures, 
such as Job. 14:1, Psa. 89:47, I Cor. 7:29, etc., which are to 
be used as a warning to man to live soberly and righteously, 
are used by life insurance men to scare people into this 
unscriptural way of providing for their own. There are two 
honorable, honest ways of coming into possession of money: 
(1) by inheritance or gift, (2) by honestly earning it. Life 
Insurance provides for neither method but, as we have already 
seen, encourages the gambling spirit by holding out induce- 
ments which look like a chance to get a fortune for a com- 
paratively small outlay of money. What will be the end of 
such teaching? Please read carefully II Pet. 2:1-4 and ask 
God to help you honestly to apply it to its intended use. 
Life Insurance strengthens the sordid tendency to accept the 
view that a life and its influence is measured by the amount 
of money it may possess or acquire, which is in opposition to 
our Savior's question, "What shall it profit a man, if he shall 
gain the whole world, and lose his own soul." 



582 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

From a Social Standpoint 

Life Insurance is a means of undermining family ties and 
affections, often resulting in murder or suicide. While the 
individual whose life is insured lives, there is a continual 
paying of premiums, or losing of money already paid in. 
Should that individual die, it would stop that paying of 
premiums and a snug income would be harvested by the 
policy holders. What are the two things at stake? Money 
and Life! The object of the insurance was to get the money. 
Since life is in the way of the object, the temptation is here 
to shorten the life. No one dares to say that such is not 
the case. The following incident plainly illustrates the point: 

A gifted agent called on a good-hearted, easy-going 
farmer. After telling of a number of cases where men had 
died and their widows and children were well cared for, then 
quoting I Tim. 5 :8, then telling about Joseph being at the 
head of a life-insurance company in Egypt, the farmer was 
almost persuaded to invest. As it happened, however, he still 
had presence of mind to remember the good judgment of his 
wife, and suggested that he would go to the house and get the 
approval of his good companion who would be so well cared 
for after his death. After explaining carefully to Mary that 
after his death she should receive the nice sum of $10,000 she 
at once said, "Do as you think best, John; the fact is that at 
that rate you are worth more dead than alive." We need not 
tell you that John did not insure. Many lives have been 
shortened because such thoughts have been harbored. 

Some, when they see how much it is costing them to keep 
up premiums and the prospects for financial ruin stares them 
in the face, commit suicide. Others commit that deed when 
they see that family affections are lost because of the proposed 
insurance money. Still others are murdered that the relatives 
or other policy holders might get the money. Any one who 
has his life insured has virtually allowed the devil to place a 
premium on his head, which is a strong temptation to those 
who are covetously inclined. Suicides and murders are far 
more numerous among the insured than among the uninsured. 



LIFE INSURANCE 583 

From a Financial or Business Standpoint 

An agent said to me: "We do not claim to be a religious 
organization, but a business company, the same as a savings 
bank." 

Let us compare Life Insurance with a savings bank. In 
a bank you deposit what you do not need for current expenses, 
with the understanding that you are to receive back your own 
with interest, no more, no less. In Life Insurance the invest- 
ment is tied up until after death or, if a time policy, until 
after long years have elapsed, hoping to get much more than 
is paid in, but if you unfortunately live too long the company 
may beat you at the game. Whether you need the money 
elsewhere or not, you must keep on paying your premiums or 
your policy will lapse. Just debts and family needs are often 
neglected to keep up these premiums. The individual whose 
life is insured often outlives the policy holder, thus neither the 
party insured nor the one for whose benefit the policy was 
taken out derives any profit from the investment. You may 
or may not win — a chance game. The surest way to make 
this a good investment, from a financial standpoint, is to 
insure high and die quick. 

The poor Management Argument. — Some people say 
that Life Insurance is a good thing because there are people 
who are such poor managers that unless they are tied down to 
a certain sum in premiums they will spend all their income. 
That may be true. But it is also true that widows from such 
homes, where they were not in the habit of having much 
money, become an easy prey to sharpers and in a short time 
this bounty money is gone also. 

This is a very lame argument. By your life insurance 
policy you encourage them to become even more improvident, 
less saving, less self-reliant. Teaching them to trust in the 
insurance money coming later on, they go on in their spend- 
thrift, improvident way. Presently some member of the 
family dies. Now you take a few thousand dollars that others 
have paid in, and in a few years this money also is gone. 
Having spent their own and other people's money they are as 



584 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

helpless ( as before. Their own money gone, other people's 
money gone, this "good" way having failed, either the Church 
or the State must care for them the rest of their lives. 

Expensive Charity. — Life Insurance is not a paying 
proposition for the average investor. As an illustration we 
quote from the annual report for 1912 of Charles Johnson, 
insurance commissioner of the state of Pennsylvania. The 
premiums received by the life insurance companies doing 
business in the state that year amounted to $65,100,871.73; 
losses paid, $23,364,321.53. In other words, the people of 
Pennsylvania paid that year the enormous sum of $41,736, 
550.20 more than they received. This is an expensive way of 
helping widows and orphans. 

Does Life Insurance pay? It certainly does pay some 
individuals. But from the standpoint of the average investor, 
from the standpoint of the people, as a whole, does it pay? 

A few Problems. — May we have a few problems in 
mathematics? 

1. A man had his life insured in several companies, 
amounting to $50,000. On an average it cost him $18 per 
thousand annually — $900 a year. If he died, this $900 a year 
would be saved. Besides, the family would have $50,000 to 
pu\ on interest, which would readily yield (above taxes) threq 
per cent, or $1500 a year— $900 plus 1500 equals $2400. This 
made him an expensive article. Every year that he lived the 
family virtually gave up $2400. He no doubt felt the struggle 
it would take to keep up his yearly dues. His life ended 
mysteriously. Find cause of his death. 

2. We know a man in the thirties who has paid prem- 
iums for some years. It has cost him his earnings and several 
thousands which he inherited from his father, and, worst of 
all, his religion. He says, "I dare not quit now, or it will all 
be lost." They have no home, are paying rent, working hard, 
family affections none too good, religion gone, wife and 
children may die before he does — unhappy life — all for the 
possibility of some one, at some time, getting a large sum of 
money. Does it pay? 



LIFE INSURANCE 585 

The Investment. — A father said to Ihis son, "Do not 
allow the agents to deceive you. Better not insure." "But 
father," replied the son, "why do you keep it up, if it is not a 
good thing?" "I have paid in too much to lose it," was the 
father's response. 

That is the nature of gambling every time. If a man is 
caught in a loss, he wants to try it again, and next time he 
may win. 

A widow in our town who was in meagre circumstances 
wanted fuel and had no money. She asked the writer for the 
wood and when it was delivered to her she said, "I would like 
to pay you, but I can not now. I am expecting isurance 
money, but it has not come yet. My husband was a member 
of the lodge and carried insurance. Before he died he had 
paid in over $1100. He has been dead more than a year, and 
I still have no money. They claim there is a flaw somewhere 
about his keeping up his dues. Oh, if I just had the money 
we paid in ; I could get along quite well." 

About a month later our town paper published in bold 
type : "Charity to the Widow !" Received from such a 
source, $1000! giving a glowing writeup of the much good 
done by those organizations. Now, kind reader, was that 
charity? or even a good business? — Paid in premiums, $1100; 
received from insurance company, $1000; interest on invest- 
ment gone. 

These illustrations are all actual occurrences that have 
come under our own personal observation. Many more might 
be given, but let this suffice. 

Dear reader, if you are honest and want only what 
rightfully belongs to you, there are a number of opportunities 
open to you to invest your earnings without patronizing Life 
Insurance. You can invest in a savings bank or other banks, 
or you may buy a home on the installment plan; but never, 
even from a financial standpoint, invest in a game of chance. 
Conclusion 

We have given a number of reasons why we should 
oppose Life Insurance. A number more might have been 



586 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

given. When the insurance man with glib tongue approaches 
you, be careful not to lose your balance but weigh carefully 
and be not deceived. They may quote Scripture and miscon- 
strue its meaning, but that is an old trick, having first been 
practiced in Eden. The fact that some ministers and churches 
tolerate Life Insurance is not conclusive proof that it is right. 
Many other things not approved by the Word of God are 
advocated by some ministers and churches. Some churches 
that have once stood against it have, like Eve, yielded and are 
now, like Eye, trying to get others also to partake of it. We 
oppose Life Insurance because — 

1. It is unscriptural. 

2. It holds out the temptation of undermining family 
affections. 

3. To the average investor it is not a good business 
investment. 

4. But two out of five dollars invested get Dctck to the 
policy holders. 

5. It is systematic deception, drawing the money from 
the pockets of the many and enriching the few. 

6. The enormous profits which some get are possible only 
because of the policies which are allowed to lapse, usually 
because the parties insured are too poor to keep up the 

.premiums. 

7. It is a chance game, which makes it a species of 
gambling. 

8. It fosters covetousness, in that it holds out the dream 
of large returns for small investments. 

9. It robs many people of their hard earnings, and, what 
is worse, of their religion. 

10. It teaches unbelief in the many promises of God to 
care for His own. 

11. It proposes an unscriptural way of caring for our 
own. 

"Be not deceived .... whatsoever a man soweth, that 



LIFE INSURANCE 587 

shall he also reap." "By their fruits ye shall know them." 
"Abstain from all appearance of evil." Consider all these 
points in the light of God's Word. It is evident that it is 
wrong to patronize this popular evil. It is therefore evidently 
right that it be made a test of Church fellowship. 



Part VII 



Christian Graces 



CHAPTERS 

I LOVE D. J. Johns 

II HUMILITY Noah H. Mack 

III PURITY ■ J. R. Shank 

IV HOPE S. F. Coffman 



CHRISTIAN GRACES 

The only living hope of man lies in Christ. The en- 
lightenment of the world is found in Christianity. Christian- 
ity is not only the system of doctrines and precepts taught 
by Christ, but it is also the embodiment of those blessed 
experiences peculiar to them that are in Christ. These ex- 
periences encourage the growth of Christian graces or virtues 
which cause the children of God to shine as jewels in His 
kingdom. 

In the chapters which follow we have made no> attempt 
to name all the Christian graces or virtues which the child 
of God should possess, but they who possess in a marked 
degree the four that we did name are sure to be the happy 
possessors of all the rest. Here are four precious jewels 
which God intends should be ours to enrich our souls, to 
lighten our pathway, to enhance our usefulness and our 
happiness, to encourage us in our heavenly journey. When 
the love of God is shed abroad in the heart of man it gives 
him a vision of the true exaltation which fills his soul with 
humility ; i t lifts him above the love for the vanities and 
follies of this world, and purity is a mark of his soul; it 
gives him a foretaste of the joy and glory to come, and hope 
cheers him on his upward journey. Ennobled by love, ex- 
alted through humility, made Godlike in purity, and thrilled 
with the hope which is the sure anchor of the soul, the child 
.of God presses on, fighting the good fight of faith, growing 
"in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus 
Christ." 






CHAPTER I 
LOVE 

If ye love me, keep my commandments. — Jno. 14:15. 

Definitions 

"An emotion, sentiment, or feeling of pleasurable attrac- 
tion toward or delight in something; as a principle, a person, 
or a thing which induces a desire for the presence, possession, 
well being, or promotion of its object. A strong feeling of 
affection for or a devoted attachment to a person."- — Webster. 

Love may be regarded as the internal feeling of good will 
and kindness which one intelligent being bears toward another, 
or the expression of that feeling in words or acts which gratify 
and benefit another. It is that principle in man which causes 
him to respond willingly to the wishes of others or to make 
the needed sacrifices to gain the object of his desires. Though 
we may speak of different kinds of love, this principle is found 
in all of them. 

We speak of conjugal love, noting how willing the lover 
is to make sacrifices in order to win the heart of the one loved. 
And after the object is gained and they have become husband 
and wife, they are considerate of each other's wishes, needs, 
joys, or sorrows. 

So in parental love, nothing is too much for the parents to 
do for the offspring. Though wearied by the toils and cares 
of the day, mother can not rest until she knows that her child, 
the object of her love, is cared for. Day after day, night after 
night, the parent will plan and struggle and toil, and when all 
is over will only be sorry that more could not be done. 

But men who are moved by love are after all living dif- 



592 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

ferent lives. This is because the objects of their affections are 
not the same. 

Human and Divine Love. — There is a love that is 
divine, and a love that is only human. It is natural for man to 
love, but only the things which can be seen with the natural 
eye or understood by the natural mind. This human love goes 
out from man to man, from husband to wife, from parent to 
child, etc., many times to the extent that it leads to the 
destruction of both body and soul. 

Divine love has an object that is heavenly, and therefore a 
desire for the presence and possession of the divine, -and will 
therefore be earnestly engaged in complying with the condi- 
tions by which it may be a partaker of the divine nature and 
an heir of the divine inheritance. Divine love is manifested in 
the love which God had for sinful and unworthy man, even to 
the extent of giving His only begotten Son to die . for His 
enemies. They who have been made . partakers of the divine 
nature have this love shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy 
Ghost. 

Distinction between Worldly and Christian Love. — The 
love of the worldling goes out only to things present, the 
things seen with the natural eye and realized in this present 
life. The parent loves the child because it is his or her child, 
because of its beauty, its strength, or its intellect. In these lie 
the possibility of bringing honor to himself, and also the hope 
of his own posterity getting along well in the world. He loves 
to accumulate, for in the dollar he sees his well furnished 
home and his opportunities to take his ease and enjoy the 
pleasures which this world affords ; or if it is greatness that 
he desires he sees in his wealth an opportunity to win success 
and be numbered with the rich and great men of the world. 
He loves to do good in public affairs, that he may be seen of 
men and be spoken of as a benefactor. 

The love of the Christian goes out not only to temporal 
things but also to things that are eternal. The Christian 
parent loves the child, not simply because it is his child, but 






LOVE 593 

especially because it is a gift from God and has an immortal 
soul which, clothed with a strong body and a bright intellect, 
may be a help to parents in their spiritual warfare and develop 
a character that is useful in the service of the Master and a 
glory to God. He loves to work with his hands and accumu- 
late, because in it he sees an opportunity for fulfilling his 
desire to be a help to those in need, whether in temporal or 
spiritual life. He loves, in humble service, to be useful in 
advancing the cause of Christ, though by fellow-men he may 
never be called great. He looks to the mansions which God 
prepared for those who love and obey Him in childlike sim- 
plicity. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in 
the world. If any man love the world, die love of the Father 
is not in him" (I Jno. 2:15). "He that loveth not knoweth 
not God; for God is love" (I Jno. 4:8). 

Love and Hate Contrasted 

Love, that feeling of kindness and good will, is ever 
desirous for the well-being and advancement of the cause of 
its subject. If then God is the object of man's love, it follows 
that his desire will be to do the things which are pleasing to 
God. 

Hatred, the feeling of great dislike and aversion, intense 
ill will, always bears with it the thought of abhorrence ; and * 
therefore naturally delights in the misfortune, grief, downfall, 
and even destruction of its object. "Whosoever hateth his 
brother is a murderer" (I Jno. 3:15). 

Can these two great opposites dwell in the same heart? 
The psalmist in describing the majesty of Christ's kingdom 
says, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: the scepter of 
thy kingdom is a right scepter. Thou lovest righteousness, and 
hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed 
thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows" (Psa. 45:6,7). 

God who is in verity love, Himself hateth. He loves 
righteousness and hates iniquity, loves good and hates evil ; and 
this could not be otherwise, because the good and the evil are 
so completely the opposite one from the other that they can 



never peacefully dwell together. But the love for the good 
and hatred for evil, likewise the love for evil and hatred for 
the good, are so harmonious that they not only dwell in the 
same heart but are a united force against that which is hated. 
It is not hard to understand, therefore, how that the prophet 
could tell the people to love the good and hate the evil (Amos 
I : . that the Lord might be gracious unto them. Of the 
cruel prince ; if f said that they "hate the good, and love the 
evil Mieah : 1 . Then we conclude — 

1. That love for the one and hatred for the otlier of 
Pico great opposing forces in the zuorld must and do 
in the same heart. In order to overcome "the prince of 

the power of the air. the spirit that now worketh in the 
children of disobedience" (Eph. 2 -2), we must hate this spirit 
of disobedience (to God), and this we do only to the degree 
that we love the spirit of obedience (which is the spirit of 
love 

2. That laze and hatred for me same objec: 
peaceably dzcell tog ;:'<:■:*■. Xo man can serve two masTr: 
for either he will hate the one. and love the other; or else he 
will hold to the one. and despise the other" (Matt 6:24 
Man can not love sin and hate sin at the same time. Neither 
can he love God and at the same time love sin. for the love of 
God is hatred to sin. He who halts between two opinicr: is 
double-minded, and "the double-minded man is unstable in all 
his ; Jas. 1«). 

3. That in order to be a good lover a man must also be 
a good he is i person, in order to live a pure. meek, 
quiet, peaceable, nonresistant life, must be a good fighter. 
What kind of a fighter? with carnal weapons? No; "the 
weapons of our warfare are not carnal." Paul tells Timothy 
: r.ght the good fight of faith." Of himself he said. T 

fought a good fight*' David said, "I hate them with 
perfect hatred" t Psa. 139:22 He hated them because he 
loved God. It is they that ''abhor that which is evil," who 
cling most tenaciously "to that which is good." The greater 



LOVE 595 

our love for God, the more intense our horror for sin. Pity 
the man who professes to be filled with a love for God and yet 
looks with pleasure upon the popular sins of the age. Our 
love for righteousness increases as we learn to hate evil. 

4. That a man's outward life bears testimony to his real 
character. If this shows a lack of the spirit of love (which is 
the spirit of Christ ) it is an evidence that the new birth has 
not yet taken place, for that which is born partakes of the 
nature of that which brings it forth. "Now if any man have 
not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Rom. 8:9;. "We 
know that we have passed from death unto life, because we 
love" (I Jno. 3:14). This brings us to the next division of 
our subject. 

Love Manifested 

It is not an unmistakable evidence of love if men have 
&reat gifts, or faith, or knowledge, or even good works. Ac- 
cording to I Cor. 13:1-3 it is possible to speak in tones and 
tenderness of angels, to prophesy, to understand mysteries, to 
make sacrifices for the poor and even to sutler death,, and 
still be without the love of God. But these qualities exercised 
in the spirit of meekness and humility are the manifestations 
of love possessed. The attributes of love are admirably set 
forth in the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, and these 
we shall endeavor briefly to notice. 

1. "Suffereth long, and is kind." It manifests itself in 
much forbearance and pity and kindness toward those less 
favored than ourselves. It stands in the way of hasty temper 
and rash acts. There is no cruelty in love — unless it is in 
bearing much ourselves rather than to inflict pain and sorrow 
upon others. Love in the heart gives a tenderness to our 
words and actions which helps in relieving the sufferings of 
others and makes things agreeable for them. 

2. "Vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up." He that 
can do a hundred little things in God's service and never 
selfishly speak of them is a greater hero of love than he that 
does many mighty works and boasts of them. It is not he who 



596 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

knows the many passages of Scripture and is able to quote 
them at his pleasure, but he that believes and in the fear of 
God obeys the little that he does know, that manifests the love- 
of God in his heart. 

3. "Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her 
own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil." "Taketh not 
account of evil" (R. - V.) It is never seemly or becoming to 
withstand or disregard the teachings of one whom we know to 
be our superior. Then certainly it is very unseemly for man 
to disregard and disobey the teachings or commandments of a 
loving heavenly Father who is our superior in every way. 
Yet how carelessly and indifferently will brother grieve brother 
in things as needless as the eating of meats offered to idols. 
God says of all such, "Now walkest thou not charitably" 
(Rom. 14:15). It is very unseemly for any one to claim, 
salvation and say, "I know God," and not keep His command- 
ments. I Jno. 2:4. Seeking one's own advantage and being 
inconsiderate of others' interests show a lack of brotherly love ;: 
is well as taking account of every evil that may be done unto' 
as, and being so easily provoked when obstacles chance to fall 
across our pathway. 

4. "Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." 
It is impossible to rejoice in the things we hate, and it is 

clearly taught all through God's Word that God hates sin and 
has banished it from His habitation, that it is iniquity that 
separates man from God. Isa. 59:2. It would be folly to* 
suppose that he who loves God and fellowman, could rejoice in 
that which separates them, knowing that such separation means 
sorrow and death. No matter how much pleasure or benefit 
the carnal mind may think and the unrighteous things in which 
it engages will afford, the love of God can not rejoice in them.. 

No mattei how much loss the flesh may think will be in- 
curred if the truth is obeyed, love will rejoice in the truth, for 
it looks to the things that are eternal. 

It certainly is not the love of God that impels men to 
rejoice at the downfall or sinfulness of others. They in whom- 



LOVE 597 

the love of God has full sway are grieved at the sound of lying 
or profanity, and receive the news of wickedness on the part 
of others with heaviness of heart. Love to God means also 
love to man. Hence the desire to see all men, especially 
neighbors, free from all iniquity in any form. This same love 
constrains us to work for the social, moral, and spiritual uplift 
of all people, and to rejoice at the evidence of tfuth and right- 
eousness reigning in the hearts and lives of others. 

5. "Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all 
things, endureth all things." 

He that bears patiently the crosses that fall to his lot as 
he is about his Master's business, and without murmuring or 
complaining thanks God for the grace which gives strength to 
endure hardship and willingness to walk in the path of duty, 
has the right to claim the love that "believeth all things."- — 
Not the "all things" which men may teach, and thus be 
"carried about with every wind of doctrine," such as Dowie- 
ism, Eddyism, Russellism, and other false teachings — but be- 
lieving the "all things" which God hath spoken, believing that 
God will not permit His children to be tempte4 above that 
which they are able to bear (I Cor. 10:13), that the chastening 
of the Lord will yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness to 
them that are exercised thereby (Heb. 12:11), believing with 
the psalmist that all the precepts of the Lord concerning all 
things are right (Psa. 119:128) — these are a few of the "all 
things" that love believes and endures. He that does not 
believe all things that God says and willingly endures all things 
that His Word asks of him can not justly claim His love. 

"This is the love of God, that ye keep his commandments: 
and his commandments are not grievous" (I Jno. 5:3). "He 
that hath my commandments, and keepeth. them, he it is that 
loveth me : and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, 
and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (Jno. 
14:21). "He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings'* 
(Jno. 14:24). 

6. "Charity never faileth." After meditation upon the 



598 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

first and last of these three words, read the sentence, placing 
the emphasis on the middle word. Then compare this with the 
socalled charity of secret orders, life insurance companies, and 
some socalled "benevolent organizations." All charity, outside 
the real Christian charity, is partial, given upon conditions, 
bestowed upon favorites, excluding some who can not meet the 
conditions imposed. But Christian charity, being of the same 
kind as that which prompted the loving Father to send His 
Son to redeem a lost and sinful world, never passes by the 
needy under any circumstances. It is unfailing in relieving the 
wants of the needy, there never will be a time when it will 
cease. "Charity never faileth." 

7. "The greatest is charity." To other things 

there is an end. "Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; 
whether there be tongues, they shall cease ; whether there be 
knowledge, it sail vanish away;" but there still abide "faith, 
hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity." 

Love has rightly been called "the greatest thing in the 
world." The Bible so teaches it. Among the notable com- 
parisons witti other important things is that found in the 
verse just quoted, also that found in Col. 3:12-14. Mercy, 
kindness, humility, meekness, nonresistance, the spirit of for- 
giveness, faith, hope, and other excellent qualities of the Chris- 
tian heart and mind are all noble, uplifting, and necessary for 
every believer, but above them all is charity. It is the heaven- 
ly stamp upon the human soul, "the bond of perfectness" 
which insures the unity of the body of which Christ is the 
Head. It is the heaven-prized jewel which not only fills the 
soul with gladness and with goodness, but constrains its happy 
possessor to imitate the example of Him who so loved us that 
He gave His only begotten Son to die that we might live. 

The Power of Love 

Motive-power of Life. — Go where you will — happen 

where you may — you may determine where the object of men's 

love is. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak- 

eth." Ask the men who have professed faith in Christ where 



LOVE 599 

their love is and they will tell you almost invariably, "I love 
God and that which is good." Then watch their conduct in 
life, and it does not always tell the same story. The reason is 
that their hearts (the seat of affections) are not all set on 
things above. Love is the power which constrains men to 
action. Therefore "by their fruit ye shall know them" (Matt. 
7:20). The fruit is the outcome of the motive-power that 
causes the act. If then we have power to become the sons of 
God, it is because God has bestowed His love upon us by the 
new birth. "Whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the 
world" (I Jno. 5:4). Faith is the victory, but faith without 
the power of love is not the faith that overcomes. In Christ 
jesus the faith that "worketh by love" availeth (Gal. 5:16). 
AW the spies believed in God, but ten of them feared He 
would not do what He promised when He said, "I will give 
you the land to possess it." Not having the love that "casteth 
out fear," they lacked the overcoming power and died in the 
wilderness. 

The Triumph of Love. — Love is strong as death. Cant. 
8:6. It was strong enough to move the Father to forsake the 
Son for a season in order that sin-lost man might be redeemed. 
God so loved the world that He could bear to hear this pitiful 
cry coming from the Son: "My God! my God! why hast thou 
forsaken me!" It is the love of God that draws His followers 
to Him so closely that neither death, nor angels, nor prin- 
cipalities, nor any other creature is able to separate them from 
Him. Yea, even all the united forces of the gates of hell 
shall not prevail against the soul which out of love steps into 
the Church which is builded on the Rock, Christ Jesus. "God 
is love ;" and therein lies the power of our safety, for no man 
can pluck us out of His hands. Jno. 10:29. These truths were 
clearly exemplified through the dark ages, when our fathers in 
the faith (as well as the apostles in their day) filled with love 
to God, withstood the severest trials and strongest temptations, 
even to being separated from their families, leaving their all 
with God, joyfully suffering the severest torments, sealed their 



600 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

faith with their blood rather than to yield to sin in any of its 
proffered pleasures and honors. Thus they proved the power 
of the love of God in those that hold to His promises. "Final- 
ly, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his 
might" (Eph. 6:10). "Covet earnestly the best gift," for- 
getting not to follow earnestly "the more excellent way." 

The Work of Love 

1. It casts out fear. "He that dwelleth in love, dwell- 
eth in God, and God in him." Then there is no fear in judg- 
ment, but love being made perfect, "Casteth out fear" (I Jno. 
4:16-18). 

2. It bars out hatred. "We know that we have passed 
from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that 
loveth not his brother abideth in death" (I Jno. 3:14). "If a 
man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar .... 
And this commandment have we from him. That he who 
loveth God love his brother also" (I Jno. 4:20, 21). No 
murderer has eternal life or any part in Christ's kingdom. 
When love to God enters the heart, hatred to God, to His 
people, and to His Word (I Pet. 3:9) is excluded. 

3. It secures obedience and purity. "Seeing ye have 
purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto 
unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another 
with a pure heart fervently" (I Pet. 1:22). "By this we know 
that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep 
his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep 
his commandments" (I Jno. 5:2, 3). Keeping the command- 
ments is obeying the truth. In obeying the truth the soul is 
purified. Every man that has the hope of being like Him at 
His appearing "purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (I Jno. 
3:2, 3). 

4. It leads to fullness in God. Paul prayed that the 
Church might be blessed according to the riches in Christ's 
glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the 
inner man; that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith; 



LOVE 601 

that being rooted and grounded in love, they might be able "to 
know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye 
might be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:14-19). 
Fervency and devotion to God lead to this fullness. 

Whom Shall We Love? 

Heaven's law is love; and it is needful for those who 
desire to be among its inhabitants to acquaint themselves with 
this law. x\nd the first thing to learn is to love the Lord our 
God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Having our 
very being filled with that pleasurable attraction toward God 
which He uses as means to this end. 

Of these, Christ stands at the head and is to be loved as 
the Father, for He and the Father are one. Loving Christ is 
loving the body of which He is the Head (Eph. 5 :23) and to 
whom He has given the ministry of reconciliation. II Cof. 
5:18. Loving God and His plan is loving the Church which 
He has organized, in which body His Spirit dwells (I Cor. 
3:16). All members of that body are brethren, though they 
have different gifts and callings. 

Also in the home the brethren are to brings up their 
children "in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord," 
preparing them to become members in the body of Christ. We 
should also pray for and do good to enemies, that they may be 
brought into the body. God so loved the world that He gave 
His Son, who taught the Church to carry the Gospel to all 
men and witness for Him to the uttermost parts of the earth. 

Our relationship to the world is expressed in a two-fold 
cense: (1) "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to 
every creature" (Mark 16:15). (2) "Love not the world, 
neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the 
world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in 
the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and 
the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (I 
J no. 2:15, 16). Therefore the love of the world does not 
promote the cause of Him whom we love, whose glory we 
desire, in whose sdory we delight. 



602 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

To repeat, the Bible teaches us that we should love God, 
Christ, the Church, husband, wife, children, enemies, the souls 
of all men, but "not the world." 

Conclusion 

"He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love." 
This love is made known to men, not by God sitting upon His 
throne saying, "I love the world so that I could give my only 
Son: I could even see Him die for them;" but His love is 
made manifest in the very act. He gave His Son, saw Him 
taste the cruel death, taking man's place in paying the penalty 
for sin that man might be free before the great Judge. If by 
faith men will open their hearts to be the temple of the Holy 
Ghost to dwell in them and rule their lives, surely love will 
a t lso be made manifest in their deeds as well as their words. 
Sacrifice is the only gauge by which love can be measured. If 
men's members are yielded and sacrificed to sin, it is evident 
that they love sin and are the servants of sin. Rom. 6:16. 
Submitting in humble obedience to God and obeying His com- 
mandments in love, and proving our loyal devotion to Him by 
willing sacrifice and endurance for His sake, are likewise 
evidences that we are the servants of God. 

Love never says, "What must I do?" but "What can I do 
that I may be a help in the advancement of the cause of 
Christ, the rescue and salvation of souls?" 

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one 
another." "By this shall all men know that ye are my dis- 
ciples." All men know by the evidences of life that love 
reigns in our hearts, if the acts of life show that we are 
interested in the well-being of our brethren and that we are 
willing to be spent to that end. Then, and then only, can it be 
said of us, "Ye are the light of the world." 

Love is like steam; no man can possess much of it and 
keep it hidden. It will force its way out and prove where 
man's affections are. Without love, all gifts, knowledge, faith, 
good works, sacrifices, etc., will avail nothing with God. God 



LOVE 603 



grant that every believer may seek after and know what is the 
love that passeth knowledge. 

"God is love." To love is Godlike. 



CHAPTER II 

HUMILITY 

Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabit- 
eth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the 
high" and holy place, with him also that is of a 
contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of 
the humble. — Isa. 57:15. 

Definition. — "The state of being humble." The word 
humble means on or near the ground. Man generally shows 
reverence toward God and recognizes and honors his superiors 
by bowing his head, at times prostrating himself upon the 
earth; hence the origin of the word humble. 

Humility, in a larger sense, means lowliness of mind, 
modesty, meekness, submissiveness, and freedom from pride 
and arrogance. In speaking of persons we speak of modesty, 
meekness, or submissiveness ; but when we speak of a house 
or home which cost but little and where there is but little 
furniture, we speak of "a humble dwelling" or abode. 

In a spiritual sense, humility means to have a low opinion 
of self, a feeling of unworthiness in the sight of God, claim- 
ing nothing for self but all for Christ (Phil. 2:5-8, 3:8), 
seeking no praise or honor from men. Gen. 41:16; Dan. 5:17. 
It is a shining jewel which graces the hearts and lives of all 
who are fortunate enough to possess it. 

False Humility 

There is a kind of false humility against which we should 
be continually on guard. Paul calls it a "voluntary humility," 
a humility of one's own choosing, claiming to be some great 
and holy one. Col. 2:18, 19. To appear pious and holy in 
order to be seen of men is a sin of which the Pharisees were 
guilty. 

Imitating some one else in manner and learning is not 



HUMILITY 605 

humility. We may learn good manners from others, but should 
under all circumstances retain our own individuality, develop- 
ing the gifts which God has given us, not trying to be some 
one else whom we admire or imagine others admire. 

Satan would have the humble believer think himself the 
very humblest, and keep on thinking of his humility until it is 
turned into pride. This socalled humility often becomes very 
harsh and unloving. The victim is generally very correct in his 
outward life and carries on a kind of censorship over his 
fellow believers, criticising and denouncing what others do, not 
knowing that true humility would always rather judge self 
than others. Whenever self comes to the forefront under the 
guise of humility, then bew r are ! that is false humility, and is 
really only a deceptive form of pride. 

Christ Our Perfect Pattern 

His own Testimony. — ''Take my yoke upon you, and 
learn of me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart : and ye shall 
find rest unto your souls" (Matt. 11:29). "I am meek and 
lowly in heart," is the foundation upon which He bases His 
authority to call all men unto Him to learn of Him. Then 
must meekness and lowliness be the very basis of authority and 
power in Christ. By further search into prophecy and into 
His own Word we find a continuous expression of submission 
to His Father, both in word and in deed, claiming nothing for 
Himself : 

"He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be 
heard in the street" (Isa. 42:2). 

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not 
his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a 
sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his 
mouth" (Isa. 53:7). 

"The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth 
the Father do" (Jno. 5:19). 

"I do nothing of myself" (Jno. 8:28). 

In resisting the devil He used not His own strength, but 
resorted to the power of the written Word. Matt. 4:1-10. 



606 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

The written Word is the sure weapon of the humble Christ 
and the Christian against the devil. 

His Humble Life. — His humble birth was an appro- 
priate beginning of His humble life. Prophecy is definite in 
pointing out the manner of His coming. Isa. 7:14; Micab 
5 :2. He came in poverty, of humble parentage, clad in 
swaddling clothes, laid in a manger somewhere in Bethlehem, 
an obscure town in Judea. The greatest, the highest, the 
noblest of kings came as the humblest, the lowliest, the poorest 
into this world. No other being ever came as He did. There 
was no display when Christ our Savior was born. The humble 
shepherds became the first witnesses of His birth. The Father 
would have it so; it was in accordince with His divine plan. 
The humble birth of Christ is unmistakable evidence that the 
kingdom of God in Christ is one of meekness and lowliness. 

He was subject to His mother and foster father during 
childhood, though He was the Son of God. When His mother 
told Him of their sorrow in searching for Him, He gave 
definite evidence of His special business on earth, but humbly 
returned with His parents to their home and "was subject unto 
them" (Luke 2:42-51). 

His occupation was likewise humble, being a carpenter. 
When the Jews saw His wisdom and works in the synagogue 
at Nazareth they were offended because He was a man of such 
humble standing. "Is not this the carpenter the son of Mary," 
said they, "and are not his brothers and sisters with us?" His 
occupation and family standing were too humble for them, so- 
they rejected Him, thrust Him out of the city, and tried to 
kill Him. 

His poverty was remarkable. Though He was a King, yet: 
owned He no nation, no country, no city, no town, not even a 
house. "Foxes have holes, and birds in the air have nests ;: 
but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head" (Matt. 
8:20). For man's sake He became poor that through His- 
poverty man might become rich. II Cor. 8:9. His poverty 



HUMILITY 607 

has become a rich store house of grace for them that love 
Him. Jno. 1:17; Rom. 5:21. 

His Work among Men. — How nobly does His life shine 
as we study His career while among us. 

1. He took upon Himself the nature of man — not the 
nature of angels, but He became the seed of Abraham. Heb. 
2:16. He wore a body of flesh and blood, thus was made like 
unto His brethren. 

2. He partook of our infirmities, and was subject to 
temptation, "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without 
sin," and thus became a sympathetic High Priest, of whom we 
•obtain mercy, "and grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 
4:15, 16). 

3. He submitted to ordinances. • Though He had no sin 
.and needed no repentance, He yet came to John to be baptized 
that He might obey the law and thus "fulfill all righteousness" 
(Matt. 3:14, 15). 

4. He was a servant. His work was to teach the way of 
life and to take away the curse of sin. In this special service 
He humbled Himself, became "obedient unto death," bringing 
our sins and handwriting of ordinances to the cross. Phil. 
.2:8; Col. 2:14. 

5. He associated with the lowly and the despised. He 
•chose His disciples from among those in humble walks of 
life, some of them being fishermen (Luke 5:1-11) and some 
-despised publicans (Matt. 9:10; Luke 5:29). The common 
people followed Him and heard Him gladly. Even the children 
received their due share of attention from Him. 

6. He refused honor from men. Neither the -temptation 
•of the devil nor the pleadings of His friends who wanted to 
make Him king could swerve Him from His path of duty. 

7. He was willing to be despised and reproached for our 
.sakes. The only being clothed in flesh that ever lived above 
reproach and shame, what humility it was for this innocent 
man to be willingly made sin (II Cor. 5:21), a curse for us to 
redeem us (Gal. 3:13), and to take upon Himself our re-« 



608 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

proaches without a murmur (Rom. 15:3)! All who realize in 
just a small way what reproach and shame Christ suffered 
in their behalf will not fail to be humble. He was willing to 
suffer temptation, persecution, and death that we might live. 
He suffered great agony, even unto blood, striving against sin. 
During all this time His plea was, "Not my will, but thine be 
done." 

9. He was obedient. He humbled Himself unto the 
death of the cross, laid down His life for us, counted not His 
life dear but yielded Himself for our redemption. When the 
humble Christian beholds the willing, obedient Jesus in His 
suffering in behalf of a lost world he can not help but cry 
with the poet: 

"Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, 
Save in the death of Christ my Lord; 

All the vain things that charm me most 
I sacrifice to Jesus' blood." 

How Saints Obtain Humility 

1. Through a Willing Mind. — The willing saint readily 
finds place in his heart for humility which he cultivates and 
exercises daily. Stiffness of mind and stubbornness of will- 
find no place for humility. Through a willing mind the heart 
is prepared for this important grace. "The carnal mind is not 
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." When the 
will of a believer is fully consecrated, pride finds no place in 
the heart, the idea of self-importance finds no room there. 
"Not my will, but thine be done," is the humble Christian's 
passport to success in Christian service. Disappointments will 
not discourage, defeats will not dismay, and persecutions can 
not overwhelm the minds and hearts of the humble followers 
of the lowly Jesus. 

2. By Denying Self — the door of the heart is opened, 
the spirit of meekness finds entrance, and the grace of humility 
takes possession of the soul. By nature no one is humble. 
Rich and poor, high and low, all are by nature selfish and 
^proud. When the old nature is brought to the cross the power 



HUMILITY 609 

of self is broken and the power of the Spirit put into opera- 
tion. Then the believer obtains the power from God to rise 
above the world of flesh and blood and perishable things. "The 
world is crucified to me, and I unto the world," says Paul to 
the Galatians. 

3. By Putting it on. — "Put on humbleness of 

mind" (Col. 3:12). They who are risen with Christ are taught 
to set their affections on things above, to put off the old man, 
and to put on the Christian graces. Paul's teaching is definite 
in showing that a crucified will is a necessary condition of 
humility. Some find it hard to be humble because they are not 
willing; while others make no effort to be meek, though they 
profess to be followers of the Lord, and give no more evidence 
of humility than does the proudest worldling. But to the 
earnest seeker the Lord gives power and grace to put on 
humility as one puts on a garment. I Pet. 5 :5. 

How Saints Retain Humility 

1. By Walking in it. — "Walk worthy of the vocation 
wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness." 
When one puts on a garment he goes forth in it. In like 
manner, after the believer has put on humility, it will be 
noticed as readily as a garment is noticed. It is his every day 
costume to walk and to work in. In makes him unconscious 
of self in the presence of others, for all those things which 
would cause shame and embarrassment are covered by it. So 
the faithful pilgrim continues his journey day by day in this 
fitting garment. It is suitable for all occasions. Changes in 
fashion have no bearing upon the mind of one who walks in 
humility. 

2. By constant Heart-searching. — In this way the be- 
liever determines his state of heart. God has blessed man with 
a variety of gifts. A consciousness of them often leads people 
to be proud of them. The young man with fluent speech, the 
young woman with sweet voice and talent for music, the man 
of great business qualifications, are all tempted to become 
proud of their success. Daily heart-searching and consecration 



610 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

will without fail retain the humble state of the true believer'; 
heart. 

3. By Thanksgiving and Humble Service. — The believ- 
er's mind is constantly kept in the Spirit channel. "Every 
good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh 
down from the Father" (Jas. 1:17). The humble soul gives 
thanks daily for blessings received. When one fails in this, 
self will soon be on the throne, claiming all. Instead of feeling- 
unworthy and dependent, the forgetful follower soon feels to 
display these good things and to seek praise. Instead of serv- 
ing the Giver of all good he serves self and the world. All 
gifts, powers, faculties of mind and soul, must be constantly 
employed in humble service of the Lord, to whom all glory 
belongs. 

Evidences of Humility 

1. Appearance. — Evidences of humility are manifest 
and readily noticed in the true believer's life. The very ap- 
pearance of a person gives evidence of the condition of his 
heart. The step, the movement of the body, the countenance, 
all give unmistakable evidence as to whether the person is 
meek and unassuming, or haughty and self-important. 

God describes the proud daughters of Israel and foretells 
their certain destruction. Isa. 3 : 16-26. The very look of the 
proud is hated by the Lord. Prov. 6:17. He does not so 
minutely describe the motions of the humble, however it is 
evident that the Spirit of God in man will cause him to be 
meek, humble, lamb-like in everything he does, without any 
effort at display. A full head of wheat hangs low while an 
empty head is erect. The effect of thought and feeling are by 
degrees impressed upon the countenance. The face in course 
of time becomes an indicator of the heart. Whether humble 
or proud one need not tell, for we are "known and read of all 
men." 

By their apparel people manifest modesty and humility, oi 
the absence of these qualities. But humility's garment is never 
changed by the fashions and styles as they come and go. The 



HUMILITY 611 

humble Christian seeks to imitate his lowly Jesus, and modest 
apparel is his desire. He desires to appear in harmony with 
the humble and the obedient, even in dress. An independent 
spirit along this line manifests an absence of humility, 

2. The Spirit of Unity. — The spirit of unity also is 
found in humility. The sheep which are so often used to 
represent God's people are as one flock. They walk together 
in peace, are alike in appearance, and there is a general same- 
ness in their makeup. So should God's people be. "Only by 
pride cometh contention." 

3. Simplicity. — The things about us give silent evidence 
of the desires of our hearts. Modesty and good taste go 
together; but imposing buildings with lavish and costly furni- 
ture together with gay apparel do not harmonize with the 
spirit of humility. Children should learn from their parents 
the habits of simplicity along all lines. 

4. Patience. — The humble are patient in times of trials 
and persecutions, always ready to bear rather than to accuse 
and to fret and murmur. They do not try to seek revenge for 
ill-treatment, leaving all to Christ who bore all things for our 
sakes. 

Blessings of Humility 

1. Riches. — The kingdom of heaven is promised to> the 
humble. Matt. 5 :3, 5. Great attainments, worldly honor, 
fame, family standing are as nothing compared with the riches 
which God bestows upon the meek. Man always wants to 
depend upon the perishable things of earth for service, showing 
that he is unqualified for the Kingdom. The humble heart 
claims none of these, but recognizes the Father as possessor 
and giver of all, thereby becoming qualified as a citizen of the 
Kingdom. 

2. The Respect of the Lord — is a precious comfort to 
the saint. "Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto 
the lowly" (Psa. 138:6). "To this man will I look, even to 
him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at my 
word," says the Lord. How kindly the Lord speaks to the 



612 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

poor and meek on the earth ; not so to the proud who through 
the delusions of their own imaginations have become puffed 
up and vain. In the end the lowly will reap joy while the 
proud will reap shame and everlasting contempt. 

3. The Presence of God. — The Lord dwells with those 
whom He respects. Though His dwelling place is in the 
heavens, He also dwells "with him that is of. a contrite and 
humble .spirit" (Isa. 57:15). The heart of the meek and 
faithful believer is the abode of the Father and the Son. Jno. 
14:23. 

4. Deliverance. — God delivers the humble. Job 22 :29. 
He delivers the humble. Job 22:29. He delivers the penitent 
sinner from his sins, delivers him from death. Psa. 33:19. 
He knoweth how to deliver the godly. II Pet. 2 :9. Hezekiah 
ana his people were delivered from the hands of the haughty 
Assyrian, because Hezekiah humbled himself. God has in 
many cases delivered His people in times of distress, famine, 
pestilence, persecution, and other trials. He has promised that 
He would, and has never been known to break His promise. 

5. Godly Exaltation. — The Lord will in due time exalt 
the humble. Joseph went through a long series of defeats, but 
in due time he was exalted. He stood the test, and received 
the highest station in the kingdom. In like manner will God 
exalt His humble followers, not in the perishable things of 
time, but in the imperishable riches of the kingdom of God 
and of Christ. Read Phil. 2 :5-8. The humble never run 
ahead of the Lord, but wait patiently for whatever the Lord 
sees fit to give them. Greatness in the kingdom of heaven is 
not for the believer to seek after. The desire to be great is in 
itself a great hindrance to greatness. Self-acquired greatness 
will not last; but the spiritual exaltation which comes as a 
result of humble, submissive, self-sacrificing service will last 
forever. 

6. Peace of Mind and Soul. — "Peace I leave with you, 
my peace I give unto you : not as the world giveth, give I 
unto you," is the promise of Christ. The humble believer 



HUMILITY 613 

accepts God's will as his will, God's mind as his mind, God's 
peace as his peace, the blessings of God as his portion. The 
hope of heaven becomes his constant joy, while the knowledge 
that all is well within gives him a peace to which the world is 
a stranger. Joy and peace, like everflowing fountains, attend 
his soul. 

8. Abundant Grace. — ''God giveth grace to the humble" 
— grace to believe the Word of God in its entirety, grace to 
trust Him in the midst of the trials and conflicts of life, grace 
to remain meek during prosperity and adversity, grace to 
endure pain and persecution, grace to rule and grace to serve, 
grace for the living and grace for the dying, grace to say, 
'Thy will be done." 

"Oh, 'tis grace, 'tis wonderful grace, 

That full salvation brings; 
Oh, 'tis grace, 'tis wonderful grace. 

My ransomed spirit sings." 

Power of Humility 
1. Removes Selfishness. — The humble spirit of Christ 
was the power by which selfishness was overcome at the cross. 
"Humble love judges self rather than others" (Arndt). Satan 
is ever busy tempting us to count self first in all things, but 
the humble soul cries out with the poet, 

"Jesus paid it all, 
All to Him I owe." 

Satan well knows that he can not move such an one in 
that way, so he tries another kind of temptation — raising 
doubts, trying to make the humble believer think that he has 
accomplished so little, and his brethren and sisters care so little 
for him, that he might as well quit trying and unite with some 
other society, thus appealing to selfishness and pride from 
another standpoint. But the humble believer wants to know 
that all doubts, fears, discouragements, worry, and despair 
belong to the weakness of the flesh or human self. During 
such times the child of God finds anchorage in I Pet. 5 :5 ; 
also in the hymn, "Trust and Obey." 



614 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

2. Closely Allied with Faith. — True humility enters 
into a life of faith on every side, mentally, physically, tem- 
peramentally, spiritually. With the weak all thought, work, 
and spirit-service is done in faith. Humility of necessity 
brings its possessor into a knowledge of dependence upon God 
and faith in His power to provide and sustain. 

3. Essential to Faithful Service. — The truly humble 
have never, in all the history of the Bible, proved unfaithful 
to God in service. Though often opposed, depressed, per- 
secuted, they would labor on in humble faith, doing the 
Father's bidding. Their hearts would sometimes need special 
strengthening, but they never turn back and leave the work. 
We have already shown how that humility as a condition of 
heart prepares a child of God for service. It gives peace of 
mind and soul, gives abundant grace, removes selfishness, and 
lies at the very foundation of faith. With these conditions of 
mind and heart the child of God can not but succeed in living 
a life pleasing to God. 

4. Power with God in Prayer. — "The Lord is nigh 
unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as are 
of a contrite spirit," says the psalmist. God does not forget 
the cry of the humble. 

Moses prayed for the people, and the Lord destroyed them 
not. 

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and wept, and the 
Lord added fifteen years to his life. 

Manasseh, humbled in prison, prayed to God and the Lord 
restored him to his kingdom. 

Jonah prayed to God out of the belly of the fish, and the 
Lord brought him out of the deep. 

Saul of Tarsus, humbled on his way to Damascus, prayed 
in his blindness, and the Lord sent unto him Ananias who 
prayed with him, baptized him, and his sight was restored. 

The Canaanitish woman, so humble that she was willing 
to take a dog's portion, prayed, and her request was granted. 



HUMILITY 615 

God never fails to answer the petition of humility and 
faith. 

The humble, contrite prayer of the sinner is always heard 
by the Lord Jesus whose blood is ready to cleanse the sins of 
all penitent sinners. He hears the prayers of humble, pious 
parents when they pray for their children, even now, as He 
did when He walked Judea's plains and people could see and 
touch Him. "All things are possible" to them that are humble 
enough to trust God in all things. 

"He knoweth the way that I take, 
And never His child' will forsake." 



CHAPTER III 

PURITY 

The wisdom that is from above is first pure. — Jas. 3:17. 
Its Source 

Purity is a quality that belongs to God. It is a part of 
His character. Upon His 'attributes of love, wisdom, truth, 
justice, power, faithfulness, etc., may be written the quality — 
purity. Purity is undefiled, unadulterated, unmixed. It is 
like the light in which no darkness can abide. I Jno. 1 :5. It 
is an essential quality of eternal life and eternal power. 

The character of God is irreproachable. His eyes are too 
pure to look upon any form of iniquity with approval. Hab. 
1:13; 2 :4. While His justice is so pure that no sin can 
escape it, the purity of His love and wisdom is such that He 
is longsuffering toward the evil doer, planning to save the 
penitent sinner and to ultimately cut off all sin when mercy is 
complete. II Pet. 3:9. Only the ignorance of man causes him 
to question God's purity. All men should solemnly bow 
before His pure and righteous ways. 

As is the purity of the Father, so is that of the Son. 
His life in the flesh was one of spotless purity. His doctrines 
are untarnished with the unholy motives and precepts of men. 
His conduct was not affected by selfish and ungodly appeals. 
A perfect example, He was the manifestation of the pure love 
and pure justice of the Father who "made Him to be sin for 
us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness 
of God in him" (II Cor. 5:21). 

That which is true of the purity of the Father and Son is 
true also of the Holy Spirit, who proceedeth from the Father 
in the name of the Son. Jno. 14:26; 15:25. There is nothing 
done through the work of the Holy Ghost that is not in 



PURITY 617 

perfect accord with the character and work of the Father and 
the Son. 

As we reverently lift our hearts to the heavenly throne 
where in the blazing light of the eternal presence of the 
blessed Trinity the heavenly beings cry, "Holy, holy, holy, 
Lord God Almighty," may we too be fitted to join in the 
heavenly sentiment. For if those in the presence of His glory 
are filled with holy awe, what can poor, unclean man say but, 
"Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean 
lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for 
mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." 

The Saints, as Holy Vessels 
When we have caught a view of the purity 1 and holiness 
and glory of the Triune God, and then remember that He 
called us to be saints, or holy, separated ones, our gratitude 
and reverence for Him should know no bounds. God who is 
holy can do nothing that is unholy, so we must conclude that 
"the wisdom that is from above is first pure." Let us take a 
look at the calling of the saints with special reference to their 
purity. 

A Pure Faith and Pure Vessels. — Jude's message to the 
called of God is, "It was needful for me to write unto you, 
and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith 
which was once delivered unto the saints." What Jude found 
so needful deserves our prayerful consideration. The saints 
are the vessels to whom a pure, unadulterated faith has been 
committed. If the vessel is corrupted the faith becomes 
corrupted by the vessel and those influenced by it. If the 
vessel is pure the faith is also pure, because the mystery of 
the faith is held in a pure conscience. I Tim. 3:9. If this 
is God's plan we are concerned about this faith and the purity 
of our conscience. 

A Pure Conscience. — The consciousness of sin has come 
to air who have attained the age of accountability. The con- 
victing power of the Spirit has constrained many to cry out 
and say, "What must I do to be saved." "The word of faith" 



618 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

is, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and 
shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the 
dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:9). The sin-burdened 
soul lays hold of the promise by faith. It sees the blood 
flowing from the dying Lamb as an atonement that purines 
from sin and satisfies the demands of a just and holy God 
(Rom. 3:25, 26). It grasps the truth that "the blood of 
Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without 
spot to God," is able to purge the conscience "from dead 
works to serve the living God" (Heb. 9:14). It casts its hope 
upon this anchor of the soul and receives the strong consola- 
tion of justification and security. Heb. 6:18-20. 

The sight of the atoning blood and pardoning grace has 
led the soul to abhor its past wickedness and defiled condition. 
The goodness of God, and the terrors of hell, awaken it to an 
abhorrence for sin. Godly sorrow leads to repentance. Sin is 
forsaken, all known offences are stopped, the hands cleared 
from all known transgression. Confession before God and 
man, restitution as far as .possible, apology for abuses, testi- 
mony against evil, witnessing for Christ, obedience to the 
known will of God, are some of the results of a heart purged 
by the blood. The "seal" (Eph. 1:13, 14) of God is there in 
the person of the Holy Ghost, "whom God hath given to them 
that obey him." 

Any one who seeks license to indulge in sin, presuming 
upon the pardoning grace of God, has a defiled conscience, and 
would turn "the grace of God into lasciviousness." "Shall we 
continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How 
shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein" (Rom. 
6:1, 2)? 

They who lightly esteem the blood of Jesus value their 
own wisdom more highly than that of God. By their self- 
wrought salvation they deny "the Lord that bought them" (II 
Pet. 2:1). Such an attitude leaves the soul in the "filthy 
rags" (Isa. 64:6) of self-righteousness, leading to destruction. 

Those who depart from the faith have not the Holy 



PURITY 619 

Spirit as their guide. They speak things that they know not, 
''speaking lies in hypocrisy" (I Tim. 4:2; Jude 10). They 
are ''sensual, not having the Spirit" (Jude 19), "giving heed to 
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (I Tim. 4:1). 

But saints are diligent in holding fast the faith, and with 
it a pure conscience, knowing that they who put away their 
conscience make shipwreck of faith. I Tim. 1 :19. Having 
"boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus," 
they draw near to their great High Priest through the guid- 
ance of the Holy Spirit. They are honest with themselves, 
with God and with fellowmen, having the "full assurance of 
faith, having hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience." They 
keep conscience stirred up by exhortations from the living 
Word and fellowship with God's people. They come quickly to 
the Fountain for cleansing when their lives are found spotted 
with the impurities of this world. 

A Pure Mind. — The mind is the seat of the operation of 
the conscience. The purity of the mind is vital to the purity 
of the conscience. A guilty conscience destroys the moral 
vision of the mind. II Cor. 4:3, 4; II Thes. 2:10, 11. The 
mind of the saint is illuminated by the awakening of the con- 
science and the shining in of the Gospel of Christ. As day- 
light reveals to the eyes the surrounding elements, so the light 
of the Spirit of truth in the mind drives back the shadows of 
sin and enlightens the understanding to see things as they are. 
The mind is like a window to the soul. So long as the 
window is clear and bright the light can shine in. So long 
ss the mind is pure and clean of moral filth the light of God's 
love and truth shines in. When our minds have been purified 
through an awakened conscience, renewed by the Word of 
Truth, it behooves us to keep them constantly in the pure 
atmosphere of heaven, away from the defiling elements of sin. 

"How beautiful that all is to talk about," says some one, 
"but how make it practical while living in this world of sin?" 
First, there must be a desire for a pure atmosphere, and then 
a willingness to live in it as God gives strength, and God will 



620 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

keep us there. Phil. 4 :6, 7. Here come memories of past 
defiled thought and imaginations; now falls upon the ear some 
vile remark or evil suggestion ; now appear to the eye scenes 
that bring the fog and smoke and slime and iniquity in all 
their darkening power. We may be able to turn from the 
scenes of sight, or get beyond the reach of sound, or we may 
not; but what shall we do with the memory and thought 
already lodged in the mind? God's Word comes to our rescue:: 
"The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty 
through God to the pulling down of strongholds ; casting down 
imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against 
the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every 
thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in readiness to 
revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled" (II 
Cor. 10:4-6). 

The escape comes in that one word, "captivity." Here- 
are those evil thoughts. I abhor them, refuse to think kindly 
of them. I set my will against entertaining them and ask God 
to help me. I turn them into a testimony for God by speaking 
against them. I set my mind in admiration of things superior 
to the evil thought. The knowledge of ' the thought is still 
there, but it is my captive, serving as an instrument of 
vengeance against all that opposes Christ. 

No one who struggles thus against impure thoughts will 
have a darkened or defiled mind. Each struggle will place him 
more solidly on the ground of victory. Though compelled to 
be in the surroundings of uncomely sights and sounds, he will 
learn how to find refuge and mount up in triumph into the 
atmosphere of purity, where the soul can enjoy its freedom 
and the mind is always open to the sunlight of heaven. 

No lover of purity will purposely go into the way of 
temptation. They whose hearts ' are set on purity will keep 
their minds filled with pure thoughts as far as possible by their 
eyes, ears, and senses in touch with things that give rise to 
pure thought. Phil. 4:8. They wear the full armor of God 



PURITY 621 

that they may "quench all the fiery darts of the evil one" 
(Eph. 6:10-18). 

Pure Speech. — If we never think impure thoughts we 
will never speak impure things. The way to keep our speech 

pure is to be pure in heart, for "out of the abundance of the 
heart the mouth speaketh." Our words will be tried at the 
judgment, "for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by 
thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matt. 12:33-37). How 
important then that our speech be pure in the sight of a holy 
God. 

How may we keep our speech pure ? Answer : "Let your 
speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may 
know how ye ought to answer every man" (Col. 4:6). "The 
tongue can no man tame ;" but the grace of God can tame it 
and make a glory to Himself. If our speech is to be "always, 
with grace." the grace of God must be with us, His Spirit and 
love have full possession of our hearts. Our tongues must be 
bridled, so that they do not run loose at every suggestion or 
emorion. Pure speech does not always consist in words that 
are faultless in themselves, but in words which are the product 
of a Spirit-filled life. Two people may give the same good 
advice. Their words by the interpretation of the dictionary 
may be exactly alike. But the spirit in which they are said 
and the occasion for which they were used may mean a differ- 
ence as wide as the difference between heaven and hell. We 
want to know not only that our words are good words but also 
that they are right words, spoken out of a true heart. *And 
they need to be "seasoned with salt;" that is, born of a 
heavenly purpose and knowledge of the needs of those to 
whom they are spoken. 

Speech to be right need not always be about purely relig- 
ious subjects, but should always be used in a Christian spirit 
with God's glory in view. There must be the bridle of 
Christian culture upon all that we say. An unbridled tongue 
is an evidence of an unstable mind, and an unstable mind is 
t an evidence of an impure conscience. Well has it been spoken, 



622 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

"If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not 
his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is 
vain" (Jas. 1 :26). 

Pure Associations. — If we are sincerely maintaining a 
standard of purity in word or thought, it will either make our 
associates like us or draw a line of separation between them 
and us. When our association is such that it makes us par- 
takers of evil, it is high time that we sever such affiliations. 
Eph. 5:11, 12. If it is impossible to get away from evil 
associates, God can give us an escape from their defilement, if 
we earnestly seek His help. Heb. 4:6. 

Every child of God can choose largely as to the character 
of gatherings which he attends, and of the associates which he 
seeks during leisure hours. If we would keep the purest 
fellowship we must seek the association of those who delight 
in things that are pure and noble. Every gathering which sets 
up godless pleasure as the prevailing aim is sure to draw a 
company which is unsafe for the Christian. "Evil communica- 
tions corrupt good manners." 

We are not to withdraw entirely from people who are 
impure, or else we would necessarily "go out of the world" (I 
Cor. 5:10). But our association with fellow -men should be 
such that we are in position to help them without becoming 
partakers of their sins. There is a difference between lifting a 
man out of the mire and making him clean, and getting down 
to wallow in the mire with him for the sake of company. 
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate" 
(II Cor. 6:17). As soon as the world recognizes us as world- 
lings with them, enjoying their follies and foolishness with 
them, we lose our power for righteousness with them. 

Purity of Conduct. — A pure inner life affects the out- 
ward conduct. "They that are Christ's have crucified the 
flesh with the affections and lusts" (Gal. 5:24). When the 
lusts and the affections of the flesh are crucified we will not 
make provisions for them any more. Rom. 13:14. When 
there is anything that appeals to the flesh we "cut off" the 



PURITY 623 

desire by mortifying our members. Col. 3 :5. As Paul says, 
<V I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection." The 
flesh will clamor for recognition, but "we are not debtors to 
the flesh to live after the flesh." There are appeals on every 
side. The world with its vanities courts us for association in 
its pomp and vain display. The flesh with its desire for 
indulgence in appetite and passion seeks to gain admittance 
into our life. The devil with his subtle wiles appeals to us 
through every means to gain our attention. "But sin shall not 
have dominion over you." "God resisteth the proud, but he 
giveth grace unto the humble." Will we come to Him for 
help? If our hearts are pure, by His grace our conduct also 
is pure. 

Some who might otherwise have succeeded in maintaining 
a pure conduct have fallen into the snare of defilement because 
they have not maintained bodily chastity. Every abuse of the 
body, whether in secret solitude or in unholy relation with 
others, defiles the conscience, destroys peace with God, and 
makes of the body a cess-pool of impurity instead of, as God 
intended it should be, "the temple of the Holy Ghost." "This 
is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should 
abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know 
how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not in 
the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know- 
not God." God will help His saints to keep them pure in 
thought, in word, in deed, and in association. 

How Promote the Cause of Purity 

There is here a duty, not only with reference to self, but 
to others also. Our life should be spent in the service of God, 
and our labors and testimony should always be on the side of 
the uplift of fellow-men. What can we do in this line? 

By Example. — In the first place, we can set examples of 
purity. Our loudest testimony is as sounding brass unless our 
life is in harmony with it. With our hearts cleansed by the 
blood of the Lamb, and our minds, lips, hands, and affections 



624 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

dean because the new life within has taken possession of our 
beings, we set an example which throws out a powerful in- 
fluence for purity and virtue. 

By Testimony. — But example is not enough. Our tes- 
timony is part of our life. Let no opportunity pass by to let 
your voice be heard in favor of purity of speech or conduct 
or associations. By personal work and example we may do 
much to elevate the moral tone of society in our communities. 

Avoiding Improprieties. — Especially do we want to be 
free from and testify against improprieties which may not be 
much in themselves but which help to feed the licentiousness 
of the present. We refer to such things as unseemly language 
which often ends in vulgar talk, undue familiarity with the 
persons of members of the opposite sex, improper language 
before a mixed crowd, courting with curtains drawn and lights 
turned down, pleasure riding in late hours of the night, 
association with people of questionable character, neighborhood 
gossip where ugly scandals become common talk, improper 
dress which Fashion approves, gatherings for worldly amuse- 
ment, novel reading, and other things of like influence. Our 
aim should be to have our language pure enough that it might 
with propriety be seen in public print, our thoughts pure 
enough that if they suddenly became transparent they would 
not bring the blush of shame to our cheeks, and when in the 
parlor or other places with members of the opposite sex we 
should never have a position that we should be ashamed to be 
photographed for public inspection. Any ideal that comes 
short of this leads to immorality. 

Literature. — We may do much in the way of promoting 
purity in the way of reading and circulating literature that 
bears the stamp of purity. The same high moral standard 
which we upheld with reference to personal conduct should 
also characterize our literature. This standard enforced would 
mean that about 99% of the novels, more than half of the 
newspapers and magazines, and much of the "purity" literature 
of the present, would be destroyed. Much of the immorality 



PURITY 625 

of the present comes from the poison germs floating around 
in books, tracts and papers. ' It behooves us therefore to do 
what we can in the encouragement of literature that holds up 
the correct moral and religious standard. 

Pictures. — Another thing that should not escape our 
notice is the encouragement of sights that stand the test of 
purity. Pictures have a powerful effect on the mind and 
character. Much that is called fine in art is so lewd that it is 
fit only for the flames. The flaming posters put up by cir- 
cuses, theaters, and other institutions of iniquity are a curse to 
the rising generation. Many pictures are found on the walls 
in respectable homes that are not in keeping with the respect- 
ability of the home. They should be removed, or somebody's 
character is liable to be ruined. So far as it lies within our 
power we should encourage such things as will elevate the 
mind and morals of man. 

Parental Influence. — Parents and teachers should be 
vigilant in their endeavors to keep the right kind of ideals 
before our children. Coming into the world pure as the 
morning dew, except such weaknesses and tendencies as they 
may have inherited from their parents, there rests upon 
parents a fearful responsibility in being as pure as by the 
grace of God they can be made, even before the children 
come into the world. Prenatal influence has much to do in 
shaping the destiny of children. After children are born into 
the world they can not receive too close attention on the part 
of those who have them in charge, to the end that they may 
be* brought up "in the nurture and the admonition of the 
Lord," reared in paths of purity and educated against the 
many vices which destroy the purity of so many people. Thus 
by the grace of God, as one generation after another comes 
and goes, each may be taken in charge of and kept in paths 
of purity and virtue, making conditions more favorable for 
generations unborn. 



CHAPTER IV 

HOPE 

Christ in you, the hope of glory. — Col. 1:27. 
How the Word "Hope" is Used in Scripture 

The word expresses an idea which is more prominent in 
the Old Testament than in the New. It is evident that in 
ages past the conditions of the people who had received the 
promises of God were such (even after receiving the promises 
and the blessings of them in part) that they expected better 
things to come. They were peculiarly a people of hope, as is 
manifested by the frequency with which the word and idea 
occur, and by the different words used to express their hope. 

While the word "Hope" is used 62 times in the New 
Testament it is remarkable that it is never used in the four 
Gospels to express the believer's expectation of blessings ta 
come. The verb form of the word occurs three times: (1) 
Matt. 12:21, expressing the Gentiles' claim in the Jewish hope;: 
(2) Luke 24:21, in relating the disappointment of the dis- 
ciples concerning Jesus' kingdom; (3) Jno. 5:45, refering to 
the Jews' hope in the promises of Moses. It is not used as a 
noun, for Jesus could not refer the people to a coming hope 
when His presence was so intimately associated with the ful- 
fillment of all that the Scriptures had promised, and the prom- 
ises which He made were given with such assurance that the 
element of distant hopes could be all but eliminated. 

There are fifteen Hebrew words translated "hope." Three 
of these are most frequently used with the following 
primary meanings: (1) Expectation, or an object desired; 
(2) an object waited for, or to which one's confidence is 
united; (3) an attitude of patient waiting, tarrying, trusting. 






HOPE 627 

The remaining words have various shades of meaning with 
reference to the three primary ones. 

Hope is represented as seeking a refuge as well as being 
the refuge sought. It may be a spiritual vision and also a 
look forward to its realization. It is the future life in which 
the godly confide and to which they flee for refuge. It is 
their shelter, their security and their trust. It is also ex- 
pressed by a form of word meaning to turn or wring, suggest- 
ing pain and anguish ; hence the anxiety of hope. 

There is no such variety of words for hope in the New 
Testament. The same root is found in all of the words 
translated "hope" and signifies anticipation. Thus we have 
the meaning, to anticipate (usually with pleasure) to have 
-expectation, and the thing anticipated. It is translated hope, 
trust, and in one instance (Heb. 10:23) faith. The use of 
the word in the New Testament may convey the same ideas 
expressed by the Hebrew, the interpretation of the meaning of 
our English word depending on the setting of the word in the 
text and its connection with the context. 

An Act of the Will 

As faith requires the exercise of certain mental faculties, 
so hope, as an active principle of life, is a mental product. 
All persons have hope. Each one has the power of hoping, 
.and natural conditions demand the exercise of this faculty. 
Not every hope is a Christian one. Expectations may result 
from fancied causes. Luke 6 :34 ; 23 :8. It is possible that 
some persons may entertain the hopes promised to believers, 
but upon fancied or feigned grounds. Luke 13 :25-28. Such 
•conditions do not warrant the confidence of souls in any pro- 
fession or experience of Christian hope. 

Christian hope is also the exercise of the faculty of the 
mind or will, but the cause or ground of that hope is of such 
.a nature that confidence is inspired, and the will does not 
depend upon its own powers or conception for direction or 
support. The will depending upon the word of God is assured 
and confident. The vagueness of false hopes is rather a 



628, BIBLE DOCTRINE 

trouble and worry to the soul, but the word of God brings 
such assurance that it results in peace and joy even when all 
natural conditions and reasons are to the contrary. This was 
the nature of Abraham's experience (Rom. 4:18), "Who 
against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father 
of many nations, acording to that which was spoken, So shall 
thy, seed be." His condition was opposed to natural hope, 
but the hope in which he believed was the promise made 
to him by Jehovah. His assurance in the promise was mani- 
fested by his obedience to the rite of circumcision which he 
observed in himself and in his household. The will must be 
exercised in hope, but hope must rest upon a sure foundation, 
and the Christian rests his hope upon the Word of God. 

The Object or End of Our Faith 

There is an end to be attained in the Christian life. The 
Christian faith teaches it and makes it an object of Christian 
aspiration. In the Old Testament, the word hope is used quite 
frequently with reference to the realization of expectations, the 
fulfillment of one's belief or faith, and the reward of faithful 
endeavors. Paul frequently refers to the Jewish hope, as seen 
in the following references: (Acts 26:6, 7; Cf. Joel 3:16;. 
Psa. 16:9-11; also Heb. 3:6; 6:11-18) and many others. 
Israel's salvation was before them, and thus it was to them a. 
hope. Similarly, we should avoid confusing the act of "hop- 
ing" with "the hope" which we will finally realize and which 
is our completed salvation. Many who are "hoping" to be 
saved may never have their hopes realized ; and those who 
have a sure "hope" are only in a spiritually saved condition 
until the appearing of Christ "unto salvation." Heb. 9:28. 
"Hoping" is the result of our having "a hope" which will 
some day be fulfilled by the power of God who has promised. 

A Means of Obtaining the End of Faith 
We shall receive "the end" of our faith, even the salvation 
of our souls. I Pet. 1 :9. This is brought about by redemption 
through Christ that our faith and hope might be in God. I 






HOPE 629 

Pet. 1:21. "We are saved by hope" (Rom. 8:24). Some 
suggest that this passage expresses the present condition of 
salvation in contrast with the future actual possession. (J. F. 
and B.) While the immediate context supports this idea 
largely, the thought is also present that the believer's hope in 
Jesus Christ, whose indwelling Spirit shall also quicken the 
mortal body, constitutes a present power of salvation. (See 
Rom. 8:11, ff.) This salvation by hope enjoys the "first fruits 
of the Spirit" as well as being able to enjoy the final fruits 
which will be the resurrection of the body. Rom. 8:23-27. 

Further teachings bearing on this idea of salvation by 
hope are based upon the fact that Christ is the one in whom 
the believer hopes. He is the "hope of glory" (Col. 1:27). 
In this particular sense, it is possible to see a very close 
relation between hope and faith. Faith would imply a special 
trust and confidence in Christ as the power of salvation, and 
hope would include all that would result from this confidence 
in Christ as well as the means of securing the gracious results 
which souls wait to see fully realized. Christ is the hope of 
the soul because He has the power of salvation, and thus hope 
becomes a means of salvation. He is the believer's hope. I 
Tim. 1:1. He is the "better hope," in contrast with the means 
cf salvation under the Law. Heb. 7:19. In the latter refer- 
ence is illustrated the peculiar Jewish phase of salvation — 
saved by the "hope of Israel" — to which previous reference 
was made. 

We cannot, by merely hoping, bring ourselves into a saved 
condition. The desire for salvation may be so strong in one 
:hat it results in a strong hoping, for the grace of salvation, 
and a longing for what is not possessed. The hope becomes a 
real and effectual one when based upon the means of grace 
given by God to be the hope and assurance of salvation. 

Relation of Hope to Faith 
As previously noted, faith and hope are closely related. 
Hope depends on faith, and faith leads to hope, while faith 
exists because there is a hope and that hope fulfills all that 



630 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

faith claims. (1) Faith is spiritual, and our faith has to do 
with things and conditions which are spiritual, but which are 
substance, and concerning which we have both spiritual and 
material evidence. Faith deals with God who is a Spirit, and 
through faith God deals with men. Heb. 11:1, 6; Rom. 4:16, 
21. The material evidences of faith are seen in Christ. He 
has revealed the Father, and as we have been asked to believe 
in God, so have we been asked to have faith in Christ. (2) 
The truth concerning these spiritual conditions, as revealed in 
the Word and which are accepted as the Word of God, are 
also of faith and are called "the faith." Jude 3 ; Gal. 1 :23 ; 
2:16, 20. (3) The act of believing and of living in this 
spiritual life and by these spiritual truths, laying hold of the 
things spiritual, is also called ({ faith." Matt. 9 :2, 22 ; Rom. 
1:17; I Cor. 13:2. 

Hope is the spiritual inspiration resulting from the fore- 
going conditions of faith. (1) We have a refuge, or hope, in 
the things of faith, the realities of the spirit world. (2) We 
have hope because of the ground for it revealed in the faith, 
the Gospel. (3) We hope because believing (having faith) is 
possible. Faith and hope are not the same thing, but are alike 
spiritual. The enjoyment of hope depends on the exercise of 
faith, but neither could exist without the other. Both are 
dependent on the grace of God through Jesus Christ. 

The Assurance of Hope 

The degree of assurance which a believer may have con- 
cerning his salvation and peace with God has been a contro- 
verted question. Between the extreme views, that there is no 
assurance until death and that there is no possibility of being 
lost after having faith, there may be many shades of opinion. 

If the faith of Abraham is an illustration of our hope, 
then hope is an assurance. His trust in the promise of God 
was so great that he looked beyond all present conditions and 
obeyed God when he was told to offer up his only son who 
was a child of promise. His hope was in God who had given 
him a son in his old age, and he continued to trust, hoping in 



HOPE 631 

Him, when called upon to give up his child of hope. "He saw 
my day," said Jesus. He saw and believed in the power of 
God to fulfill his promise though it involved generations of 
time and people. In the same manner Israel steadfastly hoped, 
not in visible things, but in those of faith. Their hope was in 
God. They could not deny Him; He could not lie concerning 
His promises;' He was able to perform what He promised. 
Had Israel failed to live in the assurance of those promises, 
failed to hope under those circumstances, the believers of the 
present day would declare Israel a faithless people. Their 
failure was not that they were without hope, but that they had 
so far gone astray from the truth of the word that they failed 
to recognize the fulfillment of their hope. 

Christ, the Hope of Glory. — In the first chapter of 
Colossians Paul mentions the believer's hope three times. It 
is in the spirit of assurance that he writes, "Giving thanks for 
the hope laid up for you in Heaven" (V. 5). He urged the 
Church to continue in faith because such a continuance gave 
an assurance concerning their hope (V. 21). He declares what 
is the riches of the glory of the Gospel, Christ in (or among) 
the Gentiles, the hope of glory. He is both the Messianic hope 
of the Jews and the hope of salvation for the Gentiles. This 
double hope of power in Christ magnifies His glory. If He 
was the consolation of the Jews he was also the assurance of 
salvation to the Gentiles. It is evident that where Christ is 
there must be an assurance of salvation and hope. To lack 
faith or to be doubtful concerning the future hope would mean 
doubting Christ's indwelling or His power to fulfill His prom- 
ises in which He asked us to trust. 

The Anchor of the Soul. — "By two immutable things, in 
which it was impossible for God to lie," the hope of the 
Christian is confirmed. Heb. 6:18. The section, Heb. 6:11-20, 
is written especially to encourage any who lack assurance in 
the Christian's hope of salvation. Earnest continuance in the 
faith should not be encouraged with the idea of gaining a 
reward for being faithful. The promise of life is not a reward 



632 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

nor can it be purchased by faithful service. Jesus endured 
because fhere was a joy before Him. The patriarchs were 
faithful because a promised inheritance was before them. The 
Christian remains faithful because he entertains the hope of 
glory.* Faithfulness results from hope, rather than the inverse 
condition. Salvation is the gift of God and cannot result from 
any other means. Hope can have no assurance from trusting 
in faithfulness or in goodness. The promise in the Word is 
sure to all that believe. God cannot deny Himself. I Tim. 
2:13. He cannot deny His oath. Heb. 6:17. The oath of 
assurance in which we trust is that which was made to Abra- 
ham. Heb. 6:13, 14. The oath of Christ's priesthood, the 
''better hope," is offered to believers; which hope, through the 
High Priest, is within the vail, and will be consummated for 
them by Christ, the eternal High Priest of God. Perfect 
assurance can be enjoyed when it rests upon such a firm and 
unchangeable foundation. Works are evidences of salvation 
and not the means of it. We should ever thank God that He 
made Himself responsible for our assurance of hope, and did 
not permit us to be troubled by our changing moods and 
powers. 

Hope waited for will not be disappointed. — "The things 
which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not 
seen are eternal" (II Cor. 4:18). We wait with patience the 
things for which we hope. Rom. 8:25. "Heaven and earth 
will pass away, but my word will not pass away." The 
expectations of the believers are fhe invisible spiritual blessings 
which can never be fully realized here. Those who have had 
discouragements and disappointments, not having realized some 
earthly benefit, should not lose assurance, for the complete 
realization of the word of promise is in the invisible heavenly 
conditions which shall ultimately be attained. We wait for 
them and we shall possess them, because they are promised. 
The present invisible things will then be in existence, and the 
temporal conditions and present experiences and enjoyments 
and blessings will then have all passed away. Hope for the 



HOPE 633 

eternal things. They are the things of faith, — the "heavenlies" 
spoken of so frequently in the epistles (Eph. 2:6), the sub- 
stance of our hopes. Heb. 11:1. For them the patriarchs 
looked and waited (Heb. 11:10), the martyrs bled, and all 
saints wait, until our time also will be fulfilled, and together 
we will all be perfected and enjoy them together. Heb. 
11:39, 40. 

The Possession of Hope 

The disciples hoped that Christ would redeem Israel. 
When he was crucified their hopes were gone because their 
expectations were in error. Luke 24:21. Hope must rest 
upon and agree with the Word in order to give it continuity 
and assurance. Israel's hope rested in Abraham's seed and in 
David's son because of the definite promise. Israel could trust 
in Christ as the fulfillment of both promises. Our faith and 
our hope of eternal life rests in Him because of the agreement 
of the Word and the evidences of His own life, death, and 
resurrection. 

By Faith in Christ. — Our hope in Chrst is secured by 
our faith in Him. Jno. 6:39, 40. If we expect to enter into 
the promise made to the fathers we must accept the means by 
which these promises will be fulfillled; thus our hope will be 
realized by our trust, or believing in Jesus, the "Root of Jesse" 
(Rom. 15:12, 13. Cf. vv 8-13; Heb. 3:1-9). No other 
name is given which will secure those hopes. 

Faith in the redemption by the blood of Jesus Christ is 
one of the first principles of the Gospel. I Pet. 1 :18-21 : 
"Redeemed .... with the precious blood of Christ, as of a 
lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was fore- 
ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest 
in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that 
raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; that your 
faith and hope might be in God." 

Just as essential as the blood of Christ is the belief in His 
resurrection. I Cor. 15:12-23; I Pet. 1:3-5. By His resurrec- 
tion there has been given to the believer the proof of the 



634 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

resurrection of man, and the reality of the life to come. There 
lias also been given to Christians the hope of the same resur- 
rection and the assurance of the inheritance which is kept for 
them and which will be granted to them at the last time. 

Faith in Jesus Christ is absolutely required to entertain 
the hope of that glory. Men may make claims on other 
grounds, but cannot have hope because they have no promise 
outside of their own convictions. Their hopes are, therefore, 
false. Eph. 2:12. 

Maintained by the Spirit and the Word. — According to 
Rom. 15:12, 13 .we note that the presence of the Holy Spirit in 
the believer's life is a source of joy and peace which causes 
him to abound in hope. In the following verse (1.4) the 
abounding knowledge of the Word by which believers admonish 
one another is deemed also a source of aid to their hopes. As 
one of the firstfruits of the Christian life and as an earnest of 
their inheritance, the Holy Spirit becomes a present evidence 
of the hope that is beyond and gives an assurance of the 
fulfillment of that hope. Eph. 1 :13. The promise of the 
Word concerning the life to come is always a necessary aid to 
faith and a comfort to the waiting soul. I Thes. 4:13-18. 
The New Testament record concerning Christ and His Gospel 
is necessary to establish one in the faith, and the Old Testa- 
ment with its prophecies is a divine revelation of Christ and 
His kingdom to enlighten and bless men with salvation. I 
Pet. 1 : 16-21. Both are the testimony of God and of the Holy 
Spirit. Knowledge of the Word and enlightenment concerning 
the will of God is a helmet, the hope of salvation. I Thes. 
5:8; Jno. 16:13-15. 

Strengthened by Experiences and Trials. — There is a 
sense of assurance to be derived from the evidences of our 
Christian character. In this light we understand Heb. 6:11: 
"We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence 
to the full assurance of hope unto the end." The full ap- 
preciation of God's grace should result in the manifestation of 
thankfulness by good works. Heb. 6:1-8. The accompani- 



HOPE 635 

ments of salvation are labors of love, ministry to the saints, 
following the examples of faith. These evidences give assur- 
ance concerning the believer's hope. I Jno. 5 :l-3. Separation 
from former sins and devotion to a holy life are other 
evidences supporting hope. I Pet. 1 : 12-16. 

The experiences of this life are of such a nature that they 
prove the vanity and emptiness of the world, that it does not 
satisfy the soul and does not fulfill the promise which God 
has made to His children. These experiences drive the 
believer to the hope of another and better condition of life. 
Heb. 11:13-16, 32-40; 12:1-3. The example of Christ is a 
proof of these facts. 

Present Realizations of Hope 

Spiritual conditions already brought about through the 
acceptance of the Christian hope are in part a fulfillment of 
the promise of salvation. We are the sons of God, although 
the glory is not yet revealed. I Jno. 3:12. We have the 
adoption and its present benefits and spiritual blessings. Eph. 
1 :3-13. The earnest of the Spirit is the beginning of our 
coming inheritance. Eph. 1:13, 14; Gal. 4:5, 6; 3:13, 14; 
Rom. 8:14-17. A certain -degree of comprehension of the 
coming glory is granted to believers. I Cor. 2:1-16; 13:8-13. 
Those who believe in Christ now have eternal life. Jno. 3:16, 
23. They are quickened from the death of trespasses and 
sins. Eph. 2:1. They are filled with all the fullness of God 
by the indwelling of Christ in the heart. Eph. 3:12-19. The 
present conditions of grace, the enjoyment of the present 
blessings and the comfort of the fellowship which results from 
the new life of Christ are such that they inspired the hope of 
the fulfillment of the fullness of grace that shall follow. 

Future Hopes to be Realized 

Only the general principles of this subject can be given in 
this chapter. The future life of the Christian is called eternal 
life, eternity, spirit world, heaven, glory. It is that life after 
death for which Christ prayed, "Glorify thy Son," "I am no 



636 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

more in the world," "Now come I unto thee." Of the nature 
of that life Christ said, "I give unto them eternal life; and 
they shall never perish" (Jno. 10:28). The promise of Jesus 
gives the location of that life — "that where I am, there ye may 
be also" (Jno. 14:3). 

Individual Hopes. — The Scriptures give ample evidence 
that each one who believes in Christ may have hope for him- 
self at the time of his death, his expectation of being with 
Christ will be fulfilled. Acts 7:59, 60; Phil. 1:23, 24; II 
Cor. 5 :6-8. These passages refer directly to the time of death 
,when the separation from the body (unclothing) takes place. 
II Cor. 4:7-18. At such time the believer enters into the 
presence of the Lord. 

The Hope of the Church. — There will be a time when 
all of the saints will enter into their glory. The body of 
Christ, the Church, the Bride, will be assembled and perfected 
together. Saints of old and those of the present dispensation 
will ' share the glory of their hopes at the same time. Heb. 
1:39, 40; II Cor. 4:14. 'This occasion of glory is associated 
with the coming again of Christ. I Jno. 3 :2 ; Col. 3 :4 ; Jno. 
14:6; I Thes. 4:16. It is associated with the resurrection. It 
is the glory which has been the expectation of the Church in 
all ages. Eph. 5:25-27; Col. 1:19-23; Rev. 21:9, 10. 

The idea of a kingdom is based upon the teachings of 
both the Old and New Testaments. It is supported by 
Christ's genealogy (Matt. 1:1), by His own claims (Matt. 
21:15, 16; 27:11) and by His revelation. Rev. 19:16. It 
must follow that teachings referring to the share which the 
believer shall have in the kingdom are not without their weight 
in support of this idea. Rev. 5:10; 20:4; Cf. Matt. 19:16. 

The final and eternal glory of the Church follows the day 
of judgment. Rev. 19:11-15; 20:1, etc. The "new heaven 
and a new earth" present the conditions which have been the 
Heals of believers and fulfill their every expectation. They 
are the "hope," "refuge," "expectation," the "things waited 



HOPE 637 

for," the "anxiety" of the faithful all the clays of their eai tbly 
pilgrimage. 

A Blessing to the Believer's Life 

Christian service depends largely upon the encouragement 
and inspiration which is given in the Word. Hope is the 
support of earnest service and patient watching for the coming 
of the Master. It incites to diligent and devoted labor and 
affords a motive for the consecration of every talent and for 
loyalty in every calling. Blessing and honor await those who 
work and wait for the Lord's return. Matt. 21:41; 24:42-47; 
25:14-40; 20:1-16. It leads to activity in the winning of souls 
which is the chief mission of the Christian Church in the 
world. I Thes. 2:19, 20. The entertaining of hope requires 
the manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in losing the affection 
for the things of this world and making use of present powers 
and possessions for the good of others, showing brotherly 
kindness and charity. Luke 12:31-48; Matt. 25:40. 

Hope purifies the heart. It induces willingness to bear 
the chastening of the Lord which yields "peaceable fruits of 
righteousness" (Heb. 6:4-13). The hope of heaven leads to 
personal purity, the putting away of sin and fleshly lusts, in 
anticipation of meeting the Lord. The prospect of being like 
Him in glory leads to a desire to be like Him in character. I 
Jno. 3:1-3; II Cor. 7:1; Phil. 3:17-21. 

Hope is the companion and aid of faith. In afflictions and 
persecutions it encourages the continuance or steadfastness of 
faith, and at last proves the inestimable value of it as a power 
of salvation. Begotten by the resurrection of Christ and 
rewarded by His glory, hope is proven the golden heritage of 
every Christian. I Pet. 1 :3-25. 

Hope is a comfort in trials. It gives patience to those 
who are tried because it looks to the end of life. Rom. 5:1-5; 
Rev. 21 :l-4. As Christ was comforted and endured His trials, 
so have all the faithful been able to endure the afflictions and 
sorrows that have been their earthly portion. They were 
steadfast in- their faith in the days of the patriarchs, of the 



638 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

apostles, of the martyrs, and in our own day, because all of" 
God's children know that "He is faithful that promised," and 
that He is able to keep both them and the inheritance which 
He has promised to them. What is now a promise in faith 
will then be in fact the Glory of God, for CHRIST IS OUR: 
HOPE OF GLORY. 



PART VIII 



Future Destiny of Man 



CHAPTERS 

I FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT Daniel Kauffman 

"II HELL Noah H. Mack 

Jill HEAVEN David Garber 



FI T TURE DESTINY OF MAN 

There are three great divisions of time: past, present,, 
and future. The past is gone; we may see, but cannot reclaim 
nor alter. The present is the time of opportunity; we go 
into the past for material to build for the future. The future 
is hidden from us by a veil which neither the knowledge 
nor power of man can penetrate. Yet God, in His infinite 
wisdom and goodness, has drawn aside this veil and given us 
visions of things to come which He knew were important for 
man to know. 

We have spoken of the creation of man. The greater 
part of this volume has to do with his opportunities and 
duties. We have yet to consider his eternal destiny. 
"Where will you spend eternity?" is the great question which 
has made the plan of salvation a live issue ever since the fall 
of man. It is the mission of the chapters which follow to 
throw light upon this question. 

In the study of that portion of God's Word which 
throws light upon the future let these things be borne in 
mind : some things are entirely hidden, others partly re- 
vealed, others more clearly shown. We get most out of our 
investigations into this subject when we do not assume to 
know too much, but meekly take our place as humble 
learners and diligent students, satisfied with that which is 
revealed. Among these things is the fact that the righteous 
will live forever in glory while the unrighteous will suffer 
forever in torment and gloom. As we study the provisions 
which God has made for the eternal welfare of human souls 
it fills our hearts with gratitude and praise, awakens us to a 
higher sense of our duty, and inspires us to go forth with 
renewed zeal in serving the Lord, warning the unsaved of 
the certainty of a just and fearful judgment, encouraging 
the saints of God to be faithful and zealous in pressing on 
in the upward way. 



CHAPTER I 

FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 

It is appointed unto men once to die, but after 
this the judgment. — Heb. 9:27. 

Upon the canvas of the future there are portrayed five 
great events or scenes which have to do with the future 
career of every man, woman, and child now living. They are: 

I. Death — which closes forever the door of opportunity. 

II. The second coming of Christ — by which the present 
dispensation will be brought to a close. 

III. The Resurrection — the beginning of a new order 
of affairs. 

IV. The Judgment — the final disposition of man, ac- 
cording to the deeds done in the body. 

V. Eternal existence — either in torment or in glory. 
These are the great central themes around which all 

questions pertaining to the future of man revolve. Other 
questions of importance connected with man's future destiny 
have received consideration from Bible students. Among them 
are the future of the Jews as a nation, the millennium, the 
tribulation period, etc., etc. But whatever importance may be 
attached to these questions it should not be forgotten that all 
these are subordinate to the five mentioned above, and none 
of them should be raised to a height in which they are made 
to overshadow them. Concerning the latter class of questions 
there have appeared differences of opinion; but concerning the 
certainty of the five great events first named there is no doubt 
on the part of any orthodox Bible student who accepts the 
Bible as final authority on all questions pertaining to the 
eternal welfare of the soul. This chapter has to do with the 
first four, leaving the fifth for consideration in the two 
remaining chapters to follow. 



642 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Death 

Death is the general word used to designate the cessation 
of life. It is, in fact, a separation,* and may be applied to 
things natural or things spiritual. 

Natural death is the separation of soul and body. 
When the spirit takes its flight "to the God who gave it," 
animation ceases, and we say the body is dead. 

Spiritual death is the separation of soul and Spirit. 
When the Spirit of God is withdrawn from the soul of man 
we say he is spiritually dead, though he is still naturally alive. 
So long as soul and body are united (except where the 
individual has blasphemed against the Holy Ghost) the soul 
has power to hear the voice of the Son of God (Jno. 5:25) 
and receive the second birth (Jno. 3:3, 5), in which case 
spiritual life will be restored. When, after natural death, the 
Spiritless soul is forever banished from the presence of God, 
we understand that to be "the second death" (Rev. 20:4). 

The Origin of Death — is found in man's first trans- 
gression. The entrance of sin into the world meant of 
necessity a separation from God, which constitutes death. 
Hence the edict, "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou 
shalt surely die." "By one man sin entered into the world, 
and death by sin ; and so death passed upon all men, for that 
all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12). It is noteworthy that both 
natural and spiritual death were included in this edict. It is a 
part of God's divine plan to provide for the mortality of the 
body the moment the soul became defiled by sin that He might, 
through Christ the new Tree of Life, provide for the redemp- 



*The idea that death is a separation is borne out by the application 
of Scripture. People who are naturally alive but in whom the 
Spirit of God has no place are referred to as being "dead in 
trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1). They who have forsaken the 
world and given their all to God are said to be "dead indeed 
unto sin, but alive unto God" (Rom. 6:11). Paul, having been 
separated from the dominion of the law, declared himself 
"dead to the law." The separation between him and the world 
was mutual, as he testifies that by the cross of Christ "the 
world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Gal. 6:14). 



FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 643 

tion and eternal life of the soul clothed in a glorified body. 
It was a touch of infinite love, saving the soul from eternal 
ruin and misery of sin. As for mortal man, ever since sin 
entered into the world the human family presents one con- 
tinuous record of sorrow, of depravity, and of death. 

Description of Natural Death. — The inspired writers 
often refer to death as "sleep," having in mind the rest of 
the body from the time the spirit takes its flight until that 
time when soul and body are reunited in the resurrection. 
Thus Christ's reference to Jairus' daughter, "not dead but 
sleepeth," was a notice to the people that she was presently to 
rise again. Death is also referred to as a return to dust 
(Gen. 3:19), a dissolution (II Cor. 5:1), a departure (Phil. 
1:23), etc., thus impressing upon the mind of the reader of 
God's Word the importance of this sad ending of every 
creature. Though under the circumstances it is a visitation 
which God has wisely and lovingly sent for the good of man, 
it is after all a visitation which means broken hearts and 
sadness, often wretchedness, something that would not have 
come to the human family had man remained true to his 
Creator. 

As we read what God has to say about death, we are 
impressed with the vivid contrast between the death of the 
righteous and of the unrighteous. Death has always been 
looked upon by the unrighteous as a dreaded foe, an awful 
calamity, and in many cases "a certain fearful looking for of 
judgment." Even in cases where, the hearts of sinners had 
been so completely hardened that they went down to their 
graves with the delusion that all was well : even for them, 
though they faced the bars of death unmoved, death was not 
the bright gateway to glory that it is to the righteous. Yea, 
verily, for them "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of 
the living God." 

For the righteous the scene is different. Though we look 
upon death as "the last enemy that shall be destroyed" (I Cor. 
15:26), we recognize it as a touch of God's love, as the end 



644 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

of the heartaches of the righteous, as the glorious transition 
which puts the children of God forever beyond the power of 
temptation and the pangs of sorrow, and ushers them into the 
presence of God to enjoy His bliss and glory forever. "Blessed 
are the dead which die in the Lord." 

Description of Spiritual Death. — Spiritual death has 
been described as darkness (Matt. 4:16), "in trespasses and 
sins" (Eph. 2:1), blindness (Eph. 4:18, 19), banishment from 
God (II Thes. 1:9), "a mist of darkness" (II Pet. 2:17), etc. 
There is a promise of new life to those who are spiritually 
dead but physically alive (Jno. 5:25); but if they reject this 
opportunity until natural death overtakes them it will be 
forever too late, as the rich man (and through him the rest 
of the world) was plainly told. In case the opportunity 
presented in this life is neglected, then this death, "which is 
the second death," is described as "shame and everlasting 
contempt" (Dan. 12:2), society with the devil (Matt. 25:41), 
"damnation of hell" (Matt. 23:23), "outer darkness" (Matt. 
25:41), "the second death" (Rev. 2:11). But let us turn from 
this awful scene! and let us never miss an opportunity to 
encourage sinners to turn from the way which means eternal 
death in the realms beyond. Jesus, the Light of the World, 
can drive this darkness out of the gloomiest soul and cleanse 
and prepare it for the regions of eternal day. 

Some Errors Noted. — It is important that we recognize 
death, both natural and spiritual, as it really is. Some griev- 
ous errors respecting it have gained credence in the minds of 
some people, and these we shall endeavor briefly to notice; 
beginning with — 

1. Soul-sleeping. According to this theory the soul goes 
down into the grave with the body, and there lies dormant 
until the resurrection. Many who hold this theory deny the 
existence of the soul apart from the body. But there are too 
many scriptures against this heresy to even concede the 
possibility of its being true. The story of the rich man and 
Lazarus proves conclusively that their souls were not dormant 



FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 645 

or in 'the grave. Then the assurance which Christ gave the 
penitent thief by His side, "Today shalt thou be with me in 
paradise," is proof positive that there is a place for the dead 
outside the grave. Had this meant the grave only, it would 
not only have been cold irony for Christ to make that kind of 
a promise, but He would have been guilty of holding out a 
false hope to the thief. The testimony of the wise man, 
"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was : and the 
spirit shall return unto God who gave it," is another declara- 
tion showing the fallacy of the theory now under considera- 
tion. These are a few of the many scriptures teaching us that 
after death the body is recommitted to earth while the dis- 
embodied spirit is either in the presence of God or of the 
tormentors until the day when soul and body are reunited in 
the resurrection. Soul-sleeping is but a part of the heresy of — 
2. Annihilationism. This theory is held by three classes 
of people: (1) atheists, who say that death ends all existence 
forever; (2) Russellites, who teach practically the same thing, 
but add an amendment providing for a virtual second creation 
at the coming of our Lord; and (3) Adventists, who believe 
in soul-sleeping, the resurrection, and instant annihilation of 
the wicked after the judgment. The first, professing their 
unbelief in the authority of Scriptures, may be dismissed from 
further notice; but the second, professing faith in the Word 
of God which they deny, need to have their faith tested by 
the Bible which they profess to reverence. 

The theory of annihilationism can have no foundation 
save on the ground that the soul -has no separate existence 
from the body. There is no scripture which can be tortured 
into a support of that theory which in its tortured state will 
not also support atheism. Some tell us that "death means 
death, and that is all there is to it." Grant it. But when they 
say that there is but one kind of death, and that natural death 
and spiritual death mean the same thing, they deny the Scrip- 
tures. When Paul wrote, "You hath he quickened, who were 
dead in trespasses and sins," did he mean that they were 



646 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

naturally dead and then brought to life again, or that at some 
former time they had been alive naturally but dead spiritually? 
When he wrote, "She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she 
liveth," did he mean to say that it was possible for a person 
to be both dead and alive (naturally) at the same time? On 
the ground that death means annihilation it is hard to under- 
stand how Moses and Elias could appear with Christ upon the 
mount of Transfiguration; how Lazarus could be raised from 
the grave after having been dead four days; how "many of 
them that slept arose and appeared unto many" after Christ's 
resurrection; how Christ's assurance to the penitent thief 
could mean anything. There are many other scriptures that 
are meaningless unless it is a fact that after the death of the 
body the soul is as alive as it was before. 

3. Limited duration in punishment for the wicked. There 
are two classes of people who believe that the punishment of 
the wicked will not be eternal: (1) those who believe in 
instant annihilation, an error just disposed of, and (2) those 
who believe in a "purgatory," where the wicked will suffer a 
just punishment for their iniquity and then go on to endless 
glory. As to the first theory, we have already shown it to be 
unscriptural. It is also illogical, as in nature annihilation is 
an impossibility. The idea of limited punishment for the 
wicked is likewise unscriptural, as the Word plainly says that 
the unrighteous will go into "everlasting punishment" (Matt. 
25:46). Since this point will be considered at length in the 
next chapter we shall not consider it farther at this time. 

4. A second chance after death. This theory is not only 
unscriptural, but absolutely vicious, as it encourages the sinner 
to waste his soul in sinful indulgence, vainly hoping for a 
second chance after death. Murderers, whoremongers, gam- 
blers, extortioners, and all other types of sinners imaginable 
are thus encouraged to ply their trades without fear, being 
assured that after death there will be an opportunity to make 
peace with God and go on to glory. All such will find, after 
too late! that like the rich man they may beg in vain, but will 



FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 64/ 

find an impassable gulf between them and glory. The wicked, 
all nations that know not God, they that obey not the Gospel 
of Christ, will all be forever destroyed; will all suffer the 
vengeance of" eternal fire, though they appeal to rocks and 
mountains to fall upon them, though they plead their cause 
before the judgment bar. "Behold, now is the accepted time." 

Is Death Cruel? — Some say that it is. That it is an 
enemy, "the last enemy that shall be destroyed," there is no 
question. It enters the homes of all classes of people, separ- 
ates chief friends, leaves many homes desolate, often claiming 
those who, according to our way of thinking, can least be 
spared. The wounds that it causes are such that many 
people, moved by earthly considerations only, have cried 
against death as something dreadful, heartless, cruel! 

It always pains our hearts when we hear of people looking 
at death in this way, especially when they accuse the Almighty 
for their bereavement. To say nothing of the fact that man is 
often responsible for the circumstances surrounding death and 
that man is responsible for death being in the world, the part 
that God has to do with it is the kindest thing that could be 
done. It is but a touch of His love, as it is as true of death 
as anything else ordered by the Lord that "all things work 
together for good to them that love God." 

One of the kindest things that God ever did for man was 
to make it impossible for him to live forever in this sinful, 
ruined w r orld. Thereby the way was cleared for the realization 
of the glorious hope of a blessed eternal existence made 
possible through the giving of a Redeemer. Death is a 
continual reminder that this world is not our home; that 
health and human strength are no guarantee to long life; 
that there is an eternity ahead which will be spent in torment 
or in glory, depending upon whether in this life we made our 
"calling and election sure ;" that we are upon the brink of 
eternity, and should be about our Master's business. Even 
though we must thank God through our tears, let us not fail 
to praise Him for all that He does, though His design in 



648 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

removing loved ones when He does is not always manifest. 
We know that the pangs of death were brought on by sin, and 
that since man made this world an unfit place for eternal 
abode, death is now God's way of getting us to a better world. 
He is the great Friend who can help us in all times of trouble 
and distress. 

We have no sympathy with the unnatural and inhuman 
position taken by some who say that it is wrong to mourn the 
departure of loved ones who have gone to glory. We thank 
God that He has created us human, with human sympathies, 
with human ties the breaking of which causes pain. Without 
this man would be a poor creature indeed. The more tender 
the tie the more genuine the grief when it is broken. 

But our hearts go out to God in gratitude and praise 
because the sting of death is taken away in the glorious 
provision that neither we nor our loved ones are doomed to 
stay in the grave. As loved ones in the Lord are taken away 
we are comforted in the thought that by and by a glorious 
reunion will take place where, as an unbroken family in the 
Lord, we will dwell with Jesus Christ our elder Brother and 
God the Father forever. One by one the loved ones are 
passing over, and the tie that binds us to the promised land 
is becoming stronger every day. Knowing that "while we are 
absent from the body we are present with the Lord," that for 
the righteous death means but a transition from a world of 
sin and sorrow to a world of perfect purity and endless glory, 
and that for them death is but a loving summons from the 
Master bidding them to " come up higher," we yield in quiet 
submission to Him who has invited us to cast our burdens on 
the Lord and thank Him for His wisdom and His comforting 
grace which soothes our sorrows and stills our pangs of grief. 
Then cheer up, all ye who mourn the departure of loved ones; 
work while it is day, winning souls for God, that when they 
are called from time to eternity their friends need not mourn 
as those who have no hope. 



FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 649 

Second Coming of Christ 

The Doctrine Stated. — The Bible teaches that at the 
end of the present dispensation, at a time known by God only 
(Matt. 24:36), our Lord Jesus Christ will come again to 
receive the righteous unto Himself (I Thes. 4:16-18) and to 
take vengeance upon the unrighteous (II Thes. 1:8-10). He 
Himself stated this when He said, "If I go and prepare a 
place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself" 
(Jno. 14:3). At the time of His going His disciples were 
cheered and enlightened by this message from the two men in 
white apparel: "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you 
into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him 
go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). 

Time of His Advent. — Christ says that nobody knows. 
Notwithstanding this, men have gone on setting the exact time 
of His coming, and the failure of Christ to come at the 
appointed time has invariably proven them false prophets. On 
the other hand, some have set the time when He will not 
come; that is, they are sure that His coming is not near at 
hand; and again they are wrong in that they discredit our 
Savior's testimony that only God can tell. We are taught to 
look for His coming; that He will come at a time "when ye 
think not ;" that we should be ready for His coming, no matter 
when that time will be. 

Signs of His Coming. — In approaching this subject we 
recognize the possibility of being mistaken in the interpretation 
of prophecy, just as the Jews often erred in their interpreta- 
tions. Yet making all due allowances for limitations in human 
understanding and recognizing that some prophecies are more 
obscure than others, there are a number of things connected 
with the signs of our Savior's coming again which can be 
stated with a reasonable certainty, and which lead us to the 
conclusion that the time is not far distant. Following are a 
few of them: 

1. People deeply absorbed in the affairs of this world. 
"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the 



650 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood 
they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in mar- 
riage .... so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" 
(Matt. 24:37-39). In other words, people will be so deeply 
absorbed in the affairs of this world that they will pay little 
attention to either prophet or prophecy, but continue in their 
mad career for wealth and pleasure and fame and power, until 
all of a sudden — alas, too late! — the voice of God will be heard 
and all opportunity for repentance and reconciliation with God 
will be forever at an end. "In such an hour as ye think not, 
the Son of man cometh." 

2. The Gospel preached to all the world. "And this 
gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a 
witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matt. 
24:14). This growth is also typified in the parable of the 
mustard seed (Matt. 13:31, 32) and is now apparently nearing 
the end of its growth through the opening of the door in 
heathen lands for the preaching of the Gospel. 

3. Great natural occurrences. Our Savior refers to pes- 
tilences, famines, earthquakes, wars and rumors of wars, 
nation rising up against nation, etc., as evidences that the 
coming of the Son of man is not far away. This sign has 
been abused in two ways: (1) by those who see in every 
earthquake, every falling star, every war, every other event 
out of the ordinary, a sure sign that Christ is coming immedi- 
ately ; (2) by those who see the folly of that kind of proph- 
ecy and therefore go to the opposite extreme and deny that 
there is anything in them. To keep balanced on this question 
we must remember two things : ( 1 ) With the Lord one day is 
as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day (II Pet. 
3:7) and what may appear to God as very near may appear 
to man as being far away. (2) These things have been 
witnessed for thousands of years; so we must witness most 
extraordinary occurrences, both in frequency and in magnitude 
and destructiveness, before we can truly say that this sign has 
appeared. Whether the earthquakes, famines, plagues, tor- 



FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 651 

nadoes, floods, volcanic eruptions, etc., of the past century; 
the present state of unrest in political, social, financial, and 
religious circles; the world organizations of immense magni- 
tude, and the growing burden of militarism while military men 
join in the almost universal cry for peace, mean that the 
period of undoubted signs is upon us, remains to be seen; 
but they certainly are enough to cause us to meditate. 

4. The falling away in the faith. So remarkable has 
been the drift away from the true orthodox faith on the part 
of many theologians that both pre-millennialists and post- 
millennialists are talking about it. Among the former it is 
taken as a sure sign that the great apostasy prophesied in 
Scripture is upon us. Among the latter there are those who 
teach that it is possible, at the same time, for two movements, 
one toward better and nobler things and one away from God 
and godliness, to take place among the billion and a half of 
people now living. Whatever may be said to these things, it 
shows that thoughtful people of all shades of opinion are 
observing the drift of the times. Peter's prophecy concerning 
the scoffers of the "last days" (II Pet. 3:3-9) so accurately 
describes the scoffers of the present time that we are forcibly 
impressed that it was for this time that that prophecy was 
intended. Paul also refers to the same conditions when he 
says, "In the last days perilous times shall come. For men 
shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters," etc. ; 
that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiv- 
ing and being deceived" (II Tim. 3:1-13). Concerning the 
coming of the Son of man he says, "That day shall not come, 
except there come a falling away first" (II Thes. 2:2, 3). 
Christ also 'sounds a note of warning when He says, "When 
the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on earth" (Luke 
18:8)? 

What shall we say to these things? Look matters in the 
face as they are, and make the most of circumstances. Take 
the Lord's way for reckoning time. People have discerned the 
face of the times for centuries, and it is possible that they will 



652 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

keep on discerning for centuries more before the end will 
come. At the same time the end may come in a very short 
time, even from man's way of reckoning, and we should be 
ready. The point is, we want to do our very best to get the 
greatest possible number of people to accept Jesus Christ as 
their Savior, leaving the question of the exact time of His 
coming where He left it, in the hands of God. At the same 
time, knowing that the signs of His coming are here, and not 
knowing the exact time of His coming, it is high time that we 
heed His warning, be ready for His coming, and use our 
influence with others that they likewise prepare for this great 
event. 

Effect of the Second Advent. — Mighty changes will be 
wrought at our Savior's second appearance to men. We shall 
speak of these changes only as they affect the experiences of 
individuals. Even before the advent the constant expectation 
of His coming has the effect of leading people to a closer walk 
and fellowship with God. We do well to read, frequently and 
prayerfully, the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew with special 
reference to our Lord's coming. We are admonished to be 
watchful, to be faithful, to live holy lives, that when He comes 
we may not be found wanting. 

1. Upon the righteous. " Wherefore comfort one another 
with these words," says Paul to the Thessalonian brethren 
after telling them what they may expect. Hear the message : 
"The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, 
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God : 
and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive 
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the 
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air : and so shall we ever be 
with the Lord" (I Thes. 4:16, 17). Now hear the message 
from our Savior's own lips: "And he shall send his angels 
with a great sound of the trumpet, and they shall gather 
together his elect from the four winds, from one end of 
heaven to the other" (Matt. 24:31). The fact that our Savior 
is coining again has ever been a source of great joy to the 



FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 6>3 

Christian Church, and the living hope of meeting Him and 
being forever with Him has cheered the heart of many a weary 
pilgrim, made his journey lighter, and rendered life a triumph- 
ant journey heavenward. Well may the apostle say, "Comfort 
one another with these words." 

2. Upon the unrighteous. We will let the Bible talk. 
"Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy 
Ghost," and this is what they said : 

Enoch: "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of 
his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all 
that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds, which 
they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches, 
which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." 

Christ : "And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, 
and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of 
heaven with power and great glory." 

Paul: "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven 
with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on 
them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our 
Lord Jesus Christ." 

Turning from this dark picture, we see what God has done 
to save sinful man from this awful fate. The sacrifice upon 
the cross, the sacrifice of holy men of all generations who 
denied themselves of many things which the human heart 
counts dear and sealed their faith in a martyr's blood, should 
inspire us to do all we can to cause the sinner to turn from 
the error of his way and seek the liberty of ■'"he cross in the 
marvelous light of the Gospel. 

How the Knowledge that He is Coming again should 
Affect Out Lives. — All who look with faith to the return of 
our Lord are profoundly impressed with the great event before 
them. It makes life more real and brings heaven nearer. It 
makes us more serious, encourages a whole-hearted service of 
our Master, and gives us a greater interest in the welfare of 
others. The farther that this great event is put from us the 
greater the temptation to become so absorbed in the things of 



654 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

this world that even the presence of death fails to bring the 
seriousness to our minds that we ought to have. Peter, speak- 
ing of the destruction of the world (one of the events con- 
nected with the Lord's return) says: "Seeing then that all 
these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought 
ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and 
hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the 
heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall 
melt with fervent heat" (II Pet. 3:11, 12). Let not the force 
of these events be lost upon our minds and characters. Let not 
the eternal interests of the soul be t overshadowed by the 
interests which at best can but supply the present needs of the 
body. Let the glory of the events to come be reflected in 
lives of true submission and humility as we labor for the 
increase of the faith, the ingathering of the lost, and join in 
the prayer, "Even so come, Lord Jesus." 

The Resurrection 

The Doctrine Stated. — The Bible teaches that there will 
be a bodily resurrection of every human being, when soul and 
body will be reunited and appear before the Lord. This 
doctrine can best be stated in the language of Jesus: "The 
hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall 
hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done 
good, unto the resurrection of life ; and they that have done 
evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (Jno. 5:28, 29). 

As to the time of this resurrection, several views have 
been advanced. One is that both righteous and unrighteous 
will be raised simultaneously, at one and the same time; that 
the "hour" mentioned in Jno. 5 :28 and the separation men- 
tioned in Matt. 25 :31-46 make it clear that Christ's coming to 
earth is a coming to judgment and that all will be raised at the 
same time, and judgment immediately follow. Others see no 
reason why this "hour" may not extend over the period of a 
thousand years, as the "hour" mentioned in Jno. 5 :25 has 
already covered nearly two thousand years ; that the righteous 



FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 655 

dead are raised at once and at the end of a millenial reign the 
unrighteous dead will be raised and brought to judgment. 

Xo matter which of these views is taken, it does not 
thereby affect the doctrine of a general resurrection ; because 
every one, good or bad, is subject to death, and in God's own 
time and way will be called forth. "All that are in the grave," 
and in the sea (Rev. 20:13), "shall hear his voice, and shall 
come forth." Not one will be denied the privilege. Not one 
will escape. 

An Old Testament Doctrine. — The doctrine of the res- 
urrection is distinctly a Bible doctrine, as it is taught in no 
other system of theology or belief. It is set forth in both 
Old and New Testaments. The plan of salvation centering in 
a Redeemer is not complete without a resurrection in it. Let 
us call up a few of the Old Testament witnesses: 

Job: "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall 
stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my 
skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God" 
(Job 19:25, 26)/ 

Isaiah : "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead 
body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the 
dust: for thy dew is as the dew of the herbs, and the earth 
shall cast out the dead" (Isa. 26:19). 

Daniel : "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the 
earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame 
and everlasting contempt" (Dan. 12:2). 

Hosea : "I will ransom them from the power of the 
grave ; I will redeem them from death : O death, I will be thy 
plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction" (Hos. 13:14). 

Of the Jews, the Sadducees were alone in denying the 
resurrection. Martha was very quick to give voice to the 
national hope when she said concerning her brother: "I know 
that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." 
When Paul declared his belief in the resurrection of the dead 
(Acts 23 :6) he won the support of the Pharisees who also 
believed in the doctrine. 



656 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

A New Testament Doctrine. — Here we find the doctrine 
both taught and exemplified. Christ not only taught it, but He 
"became the firstfruits of them that slept" and went on to 
glory. The apostles likewise taught the doctrine clearly and 
forcibly. The Jews were "grieved that they taught the people, 
and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead" 
(Acts 4:2). Evidently it was not the doctrine to which they 
objected, but they were violently opposed to the idea that this 
great event should come through Jesus. Paul afterwards (I 
Cor. 15) referred to the resurrection of Jesus as the event 
upon which hinged the reliability of not only this doctrine but 
of the entire Christian faith. Before the stoics and epicureans 
he boldly preached "Jesus and the resurrection" (Acts 17:18), 
a doctrine so strange to them that they called him a "babbler." 
The New Testament is a veritable text-book on the doctrine of 
the resurrection. 

Proofs of the Resurrection. — The first proof, and only 
proof needed, is the testimony of the Bible. "By many 
infallible proofs" was the resurrection of Jesus made known 
to men. The doctrine is not incredible. The resurrection is, 
of course, a result of the miraculous use of power on the part 
of the Almighty. It is not harder to believe than is the fact 
of the origin of matter, the origin of life, and many other 
things that can be accounted for only on the ground that there 
is an all-wise, all-powerful Being whose word is supreme and 
whose power is infinite. Coming nearer the point, the raising 
of Lazarus, to which fact many Jews were witnesses, and the 
resurrection of Jesus, a fact also established "by many infalli- 
ble proofs," clearly prove that the resurrection of the body 
from the grave is not an impossibility. When Paul declared 
that Christ "was seen of above five hundred brethren at once ; 
of whom the greater part remain unto this present" (I Cor. 
15:6), he presented a decisive proof which no man could 
withstand. The credibility of the resurrection is proven by the 
people who have been raised from the dead, and the certainty 
of it is proven by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 



FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 657 

Concerning the nature and extent of the resurrection 
Wakefield says : ''Redemption is the payment of a price in 
order to the liberation of the captive, an idea which is clearly 
involved in the sacrifice of Christ. Our redemption is two- 
fold: virtual and actual. Virtual redemption is redemption by 
price. Actual redemption in fact — the actual claiming of the 
captive. Virtual redemption in regard to its extent, includes 
the whole human family ; for Christ 'tasted death for every 
man.' It includes also the whole of man's nature — the body 
as well as the soul. This is evident from what the apostle 
says : 'Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price : 
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which 
are God's. Hence the bodies of the saints, as well as their 
souls, have been purchased by Christ. The members, though 
dissolved by death, are still written in His book, and will in 
due time be raised in beauty and immortality, 'according to the 
working whereby he is able even to subdue all things to him- 
.self.' In regard to the soul, every true believer is actually 
redeemed in the present life ; but not so with the body. For, 
though it is virtually redeemed, its actual redemption lies 
beyond the present state of being. That can only be fully 
accomplished when our redeemer shall break the iron grasp 
of death, and liberate the captives of the grave. Till then we 
must wait for the crowning blessing of our adoption, to wit, 
the redemption of our bodies. Till then the purposes of 
Christ's mediation will not be fully accomplished; 'for he 
must reign until he hath put all enemies under his feet. The 
last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.' This, therefore, 
clearly and necessarily implies the resurrection of the human 
race. And 'then shall be brought to pass the saying that is 
written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death! where is 
thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory?'" (Christian 
Theology, P. 617.) 

Some Errors Noted. — Like all other great Bible doc- 
trines, the fact of the resurrection has been stubbornly dis- 
puted and the doctrine bitterly assailed from various sources. 



658 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Why not? Upon this doctrine hangs the fate of the entire 
Gospel of Jesus Christ. Concede the fact of the resurrection, 
and you concede the truth of the whole Gospel. It is not 
surprising, therefore, that much opposition should be brought 
against the doctrine by the enemies of Christ. Some opponents 
deny the resurrection entirely, others twist it into something 
meaningless that it might as well be denied. Let us notice a 
few of the more prominent errors: 

1. "That there is no resurrection" This was the view 
held by the Sadducees, but Christ quickly silenced them. Luke 
20:27-38. Paul also (I Cor. 15:12-20) proves conclusively 
that if this doctrine is abandoned the whole realm of Chris- 
tian faith crumbles to the ground. The fact of the resurrec- 
tion has already been fully proven and need not be argued here. 

2. "That the resurrection is past already/' Paul en- 
countered this heresy. II Tim. 2 :17, 18. "Their word will 
eat as doth a canker/' said he of those who taught it. Let a 
man take this way of "spiritualizing" away the doctrine of a 
bodily resurrection, and it will be only a question of time until 
the whole Gospel will have evaporated by the same process. 

There is a raising to "newness of life" which every soul 
must experience before he can have a part in "the resurrection 
of life ;" but the rising to newness of life is not the bodily 
resurrection of which the Bible speaks in so many places. 
Many had been raised up to spiritual life before Paul de- 
nounced the idea "that the resurrection is past already." Let 
it not be forgotten that wherever the Bible speaks of "the 
resurrection" it speaks of the resurrection of the body from 
the grave. Lose sight of this fact, and you are an easy 
victim of those whose "word will eat as doth a canker." 

3. That there will be no resurrection of the body, but 
that glorified bodies will be supplied instead. This is another 
way of shelving this vital doctrine. The statement is ingen- 
ious, having the semblance of truth in it. It is devilish, in 
that it denies the Scripture. If there will be no resurrection 
of the body, then either the raising to newness of life or the 



FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 659 

flight of the spirit heavenward would have to be considered the 
resurrection. That being the case, Paul was wrong when he 
•denounced the idea "that the resurrection is past already." 
But Paul, speaking by inspiration of God, was right, and the 
proponents of the error now under consideration are wrong. 
Two things will be true of the resurrection: (1) It will be a 
liieral bodily resurrection. (2) There will be changes whereby 
these vile bodies will be transformed into glorious bodies like 
unto Christ's. The process of the change will be as miraculous 
as the fact of the resurrection itself is miraculous, and we shall 
not attempt to explain it. When our bodies will come forth 
they will be free from everything subject to decay or corrup- 
tion. Paul says of the body: "It is sown in corruption: it is 
raised in incorruption : it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in 
glory : it is sown in weakness ; it is raised in power : it is 
sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body." To all 
questions which may be asked on this point we know of no 
better answer than that which God gave through His chosen 
vessel, Paul: "But some man will say, How are the dead 
raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that 
which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: and that 
which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but 
bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain : 
but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every 
:seed his own body." 

A General Resurrection. — That the resurrection will be 
universal there can be no question. Christ says that "all that 
.are in their graves" will come forth. The sea also will give 
up its dead. Rev. 20:13. From every clime and age, no matter 
how death may have been brought about or what disposition 
was made of the body, all will be called forth, and all will 
receive their "just recompense of reward," whether it be good 
or evil. And whether the souls of the righteous dead and of 
the unrighteous dead will appear at the same time, as some 
believe, or whether there will be a thousand years or more of 
difference between these two resurrections, as others believe, 



660 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

the resurrection of the body will be an event in the life of 
every individual — except such as will be alive at the time when 
our Lord will appear again. II Thes. 4:15-17. 

"The Resurrection of Life." — To the righteous, the 
resurrection will mean "the resurrection of life." "They that 
have done good, unto the resurrection of life." All the inspired 
writers who have expressed themselves on the subject unite in 
pronouncing the event a most glorious one. Paul in telling 
about it says, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all 
sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twink- 
ling of an eye, at the last trump : for the trumpet shall sound, 
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be 
changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and 
this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible 
shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put 
on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that 
is written, Death is swallowed up in victory" (I Cor. 15:51-54).. 
To those who are alive at the coming of our Lord the event 
will appear on this wise : "The Lord himself shall descend 
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and 
with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise 
first : then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up 
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: 
and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thes. 4:16, 17).. 
Rising in the strength and glory of the Most High, the saints 
of God will be glorified together with Christ (Col. 3:4); and 
with bodies incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and spiritual (I 
Cor. 15:42-44), "as the angels of God in heaven" (Matt. 
22:30), they will ascend in rapturous joy to meet the Lord in 
eternal fellowship and glory. Glorious day! May God speed 
its coming — and may we spare neither pains nor sacrifice in 
the important work of getting the greatest possible number of 
people ready to join in this glorious rapture. 

"The Resurrection of Damnation." — The saddest 
thought that ever comes to the children of God is the reflection 
that not all people will have part in the resurrection of life. 



FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 661 

Daniel says that when the wicked will awake it will be % to 
'"shame and everlasting contempt." Let no unsaved soul now 
living turn away from this awful scene until he has come to 
himself, turned a listening ear to the heavenly voice (Jno. 
5:25), repented before God, and resolved in his heart to spend 
the rest of his days in turning the hearts of other unsaved 
ones from the awful path that leads to destruction and point- 
ing them to the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ. 

The Judgment 

The word "judgment" means "the pronouncing of an 
opinion or decision of a formal or authoritative nature." In 
theology it is "the mandate or sentence of God as the Judge 
of all; especially, final reward; the last sentence." — Webster. 

We speak of judgment when we refer (1) to wisdom or 
prudence, opinion as to the right or wrong of certain actions, 
policies or conditions; (2) sentences passed in courts of law; 
(3) mandates ordering certain things to be done; (4) punish- 
ment inflicted as a penalty for sin or crime; (5) the final 
retribution at the end of time. The final sentence, the reward 
for righteousness or iniquity, when the saints will be invited 
into the everlasting presence of the Father and the wicked will 
be consigned into "everlasting fire," is usually referred to as 
"the judgment." 

An Old Testament Doctrine. — David speaks of the time 
when the Lord "cometh to judge the earth" (I Chron. 16:33), 
and says that He "hath prepared his throne for judgment" 
CPsa. 9:7). In Psa. 96:13 we read: "He that cometh to 
judge the earth: he shall judge the world in righteousness, and 
the people with his truth." Solomon says, "God shall judge 
the righteous and the wicked" (Eccl. 3:17). In warning 
young men to beware of sinful pleasures he says, "But know 
thou, that for all these things God shall bring thee into judg- 
ment" (Eccl. 11:9). These references make it clear that the 
Old Testament writers understood that there was certain 
reward ahead for the righteous and certain punishment for the 
wicked. In fact, they had only to open their eyes and they 



662 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

could see the judgments of God visited upon the disobedient, 
while the blessings of God flowed freely toward them that kept 
His precepts. Looking forward to the time when "they that 
sleep in the dust shall awake," they could also see the day of 
■eternal rewards and judgments. 

A New Testament Doctrine. — Turning to the testimony 
of the New Testament writers, we see the same doctrine held 
forth with still greater clearness. Christ says, For "every 
idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof 
in the day of judgment" (Matt. 12:36). Speaking of the 
work of the Holy Comforter He says, "He will reprove the 
world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (Jno. 
16:8). As to what the judgment will mean for the wicked 
He says, "These shall go away into everlasting punishment" 
(Matt. 25:46), saying of the righteous, "But the righteous 
into eternal life." 

Paul was equally clear and specific in proclaiming the 
cioctrine. He made Felix tremble when he preached "right- 
eousness, temperance, and the judgment to come" (Acts 24: 
25). To the Romans he wrote, "We shall all apppear before 
the judgment seat of Christ" (Rom. 14:10). This, was after^ 
wards repeated to the Corinthians. He writes to the Hebrews 
telling of people who because of their wretched condition are 
afflicted with "a certain fearful looking for of judgment." 
That the judgment he speaks of is not a mere smiting of the 
conscience is evident. from his testimony, "It is appointed unto 
men once to die, but after this the judgment" 

Peter also testifies of the judgment saying, "The heavens 
and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in 
store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment' 1 (II Pet. 
3:7). Jude speaks of "the judgment of the great day" (Jude 
6), and John relates his vision as follows: "And I saw the 
dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were 
opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of 
life : and the dead were judged out of those things which were 
written in the books, according to their works" (Rev. 20:12). 



FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 663 

The Reasonableness of the Judgment. — The fact of the 
judgment having been established as a Bible doctrine, let us 
look at the subject from another standpoint. Practically all 
kinds of people believe in some kind of judgment from the 
standpoint of justice. The rankest atheist believes that the 
government should mete out justice to criminals, and glories 
when some overbearing wretch gets "his just dues." Justice 
calls for the punishment of crime, and practically all people 
recognize the reasonableness of it. 

It requires no great intelligence to perceive that in this 
life people are not punished or rewarded in proportion to their 
sins or their merits. Quite frequently the most hardened 
reprobates fare remarkably well so far as health, wealth, peace 
with associates, "having a good time," are concerned ; while 
God-fearing men who want to live right in every respect are 
often afflicted, suffer for years from loathesome and painful 
disease, and perhaps die in penury and want. Take Job, for 
example, who walked "perfect before God." He was prostrat- 
ed by sore afflictions, and his misguided friends tried to make 
him believe that it was the judgment of God visited upon him 
because of his sins ; but he quickly pointed out that if this 
were true then there must be an injustice somewhere, since 
many wicked men prosper while just men often suffer much 
affliction. 

It is evident, therefore, that if the justice of God is to be 
established there must be future retribution; judgment for the 
wicked, rewards at "the resurrection of the just." The stripes 
and afflictions in this life are not sent us as punishment for 
sin, primarily, but rather as a touch of God's love (see Heb. 
12:1-13) to bring us to where we ought to be and to make us 
useful in His service to the greatest possible extent. Judg- 
ment for sin will come in fullness when all things will be 
finally evened up in the end. 

The Judge. — As Christ is the all important factor in the 
redemption, so will He be in the judgment. As the mighty 
"King of kings and Lord of lords" He will come with His 



664 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

mighty angels as Judge of all the earth. "The Father 

hath committed all judgment unto the Son" (Jno. 5:22). 
Peter says that God commanded him "to testify that it is he 
(Christ) which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick 
and dead" (Acts 10:42). Paul says that Christ "shall judge 
the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom" (II 
Tim. 4:1) "in the day when God shall judge the secrets of 
men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel" (Rom. 2:16). 
But let us not conclude that He will sit in arbitrary 
judgment, taking vengeance on whom He will without regard 
to justice. One of the things written cri Jesus Christ is that 
He changeth not: "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, 
and forever." He was both just and merciful while among us 
a's a Savior; He will be both just and merciful when before 
us as a Judge. Though mercy and sacrifice were His mission 
as a Savior, it was according to truth. Though justice will be 
His mission as Judge, it will be according to truth. Listen to 
His testimony: "The word that I have spoken, the same shall 
judge him in the last day" (Jno. 12:47, 48). Hear the 
testimony of Paul : ' 'We must all appear before the judgment 
seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in 
the body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good 
or bad" (II Cor. 5:10). Like a case before any just judge in 
court, the two determining factors in the judgment will be 
the law and the evidence. The law in this case will be the 
Word of God; the evidence, the kind of lives we live on earth. 
Let our lives be in conformity with the Word and will of God, 
and we need not fear the sternness of the Judge. Certainly 
the words, "Come, ye blessed of my Father," will not sound 
harshly in the ears of saints. The final sentence is fixed 
beforehand by the kind of lives we live in this day of oppor- 
tunity. 

The Judged. — The Word, in judgment, will be of uni- 
versal application. Here is the divine testimony showing who 
will be judged: 

1. Fallen angels. Peter says, "God spared not the angels 



FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 665 

that sinned, but cast them down to hell to be reserved 

unto judgment" (II Pet. 2:4). Jude also testifies that ''the 
angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own 
habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under dark- 
ness unto the judgment of the great day" (Jude 6). The 
fallen angels will share the same fate as fallen men. Both are 
doomed to go "into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and 
his angels." 

2. "All nations" "Before him shall be gathered all 
nations" (Matt. 25:32). Christ as "judge of all" (Heb. 
12:23) will know no class distinctions; neither will there be 
any favored nation or individuals, for "God is no respecter of 
persons." 

3. "Small and great." John saw the dead, both small 
and great, stand before the throne ; books were opened, and 
comparisons made. Rev. 20:12. The mighty conqueror, the 
king, the humblest subject, the statesman, the scholar, the 
illiterate man, the billionaire, the beggar, the centenarian, the 
little child — every man, woman, and child whom God has ever 
given existence, without distinction of race, color, intelligence, 
social standing, age, or any other condition — all are judged by 
the same standard, all judged in righteousness, our eternal 
fate being determined by the question as to whether in this 
life we made our lives conformable to the divine will and our 
souls washed in the blood of the Lamb. Some of the condi- 
tions mentioned find favor in the sight of men ; but before 
God they are counted as nothing, save the fact that God 
expects greater things of us in proportion to our blessings, 
favors, talents, and opportunities. 

4. "The quick and the dead." Paul says that at the 
appearing of our Lord He will judge the living and the dead. 
This is explained in I Thes. 4:16-18, where he tells how first 
the dead are raised, then the living caught up with them, being 
then on a common level with them before the Lord. What is 
true of the righteous living and dead is also true of the 
unrighteous living and dead. 



666 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

5. "The righteous and the wicked/' Solomon says, "God 
shall judge the righteous and the wicked" (Eccl. 3:17). There 
is no favoritism with God. The difference between these two 
classes is that the former have met the conditions of the 
atonement while the latter have not. Both will be judged 
according to their works. Therefore the righteous will hear the 
welcome message, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit 
the kingdom prepared for you," while the unrighteous will 
hear the awful sentence, "Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting 
fire !" The righteous have the further consolation that since 
their sins are washed away they will have no accusations to 
face in the final test. Because Christ is the sacrifice slain for 
the sins of the world, all who accept Him as their Savior have 
the guilt and stain of sin removed, and the judgment for sin 
does not apply to them. I Cor. 11:31, 32. 

The Judgment — does not only apply to every individual, 
but to every act, word and thought. In other words, we are 
responsible to God for everything we do, or say, or harbor in 
our minds. We can hide nothing from God ; He takes account 
of everything we do and are. "The eye of God is in every 
place, beholding the evil and the good." This fact should 
impress us with the seriousness of life and of our responsibil- 
ity before God. 

In concluding His Sermon on the Mount Christ tells of 
two men who built houses, one on the rock and the other on 
the sand, and the difference in their fate — all depending upon 
the doing. Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, 
deceiving your own selves." They who live for carnal pleasure 
should reflect that "for all these things God will bring them 
into judgment" (Eccl. 9:11). "God shall bring every work 
into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or 
whether it be evil" (Eccl. 12:14). 

We are also held accountable for our speech. "For every 
idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof 
in the day of judgment. For by thy zvords shalt thou be 
justified, and by thy zvords shalt thou be condemned" (Matt. 



FROM DEATH TO JUDGMENT 667 

12:36, 37). Jude likewise (V. 15) warns the ungodly that 
they will be held accountable for their wicked words and hard 
speeches. Let these things be looked squarely in the face. A 
deep conviction and keen realization that God holds us re- 
sponsible for all that we say will help us to measure our 
words, to be careful what we say, and how we say it. 

But judgment does not stop here. "The Lord looketh on 
the heart." God expects of us not only clean hands and 
tongues, but also pure minds and sanctified hearts. "Every 
secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil," will 
be brought into judgment. The judgment is a part of that 
clean sweep which takes in every act, every word, and every 
thought in the experience of man. "Sow a thought, and you 
reap an act; sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, 
and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a 
destiny." 

* * * 

Whatever may be said concerning the momentous questions 
which have to do with the future of man, our whole career 
beyond the grave is determined by what happens on this side. 
The judgment will be for us a "great" day, or a "dreadful" 
day, just as we decide by a life of obedience or disobedience to 
God. They who in this life commit their all to God, will be 
safe in His hands and in His presence in glory. They who 
reject Him here will be rejected hereafter. Eternity is but a 
continuation of time. Our eternal dwelling place in eternity is 
but the end of the way which we choose to travel in time. 
The choice of a moment decides our eternal destiny. Life 
here presents one great opportunity to prepare for the life to 
come. Improve the opportunity, and eternity will be to you 
an endless experience of bliss and glory. 



CHAPTER II 
HELL 

The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all 
the nations that forget God. — Psa. 9:17. 

If one were left to his own choosing, he would rather 
consider some bright subject, like heaven, than the dark subject 
which we are about to consider. But this being a Bible subject 
it needs to be considered as such. We shall therefore present 
the subject as taught in the Bible. 

Definitions 

The original word "sheol" has a double application, some- 
times used to designate the grave, sometimes referring to the 
place of departed spirits. In the authorized version the words 
"grave" and "hell" are each used thirty-one times as derived 
from the word "sheol." (Enclycopedia Brittanica.) 

In several instances in the Authorized Version the word 
"hell" 1 refers to the grave; as in Psa. 16:10 and Acts 2:27. 
Generally, however, the word designates the place where lost 
souls are; as in Deut. 32:22, Psa. 9:17, Luke 16:23, etc. 

The word "hades" is used frequently in the Revised 
Version where the word "hell" is used in the Authorized. It 
is sometimes used to designate the grave, as in Acts 2:31, I 
Cor. 15:55, but more frequently refers to the place of torment, 
as in Matt. 11:23, Luke 16:23, etc. 

The word "gehenna," used twelve times in the Greek New 
Testament, means the place of future punishment. 

It matters not by what name the place may be known, the 
Scriptures teach that there is a place of endless punishment for 
the wicked, and this is the theme to which the thoughts found 
in this chapter are directed. 



HELL 669 

Description of the Lake of Fire 

This place is described in Scripture as "a lake of fire 
luirning with brimstone" (Rev. 19:20), "fire and brimstone" 

(Rev. 14:10), "hell fire" (Matt. 5:22), "unquenchable fire" 

(Matt. 3:17), "everlasting burnings" (Isa. 33:14), "everlast- 
ing contempt" (Dan. 12:2), "everlasting fire" (Matt. 25:41). 
"everlasting punishment" (Matt. 25:46), "outer darkness" 

(Matt. 25:30), "damnation of hell" (Matt. 23:33), "furnace 
of fire" (Matt. 13:50), "where the worm dieth not, and the 
fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:44), "vengeance of eternal fire" 

(Jude 7), "smoke of their torment ascendeth forever and 
*ever" (Rev. 14:11), "tormented day and night forever" (Rev. 
20:10). 

In spite of this array of Scripture testimony, men have 
questioned whether there is real fire in hell. The danger of 
such speculations is very great. The Bible is not to be 
speculated with but believed, lest we be deceived by the devil. 
It is a matter of note that most of those who criticise this 
-divinely inspired description of hell, do not criticise the Bible 
•description of heaven at all. 

For Whom Prepared 

Hell is prepared for the devil and his angels. Matt. 
25 :41. Divine justice has prepared this place for them. The 
devils are afraid of this final banishment, which is to come 
as a just punishment for the accuser and his followers to 
prevent them from doing evil forever. When Christ met the 
evil spirits, the devils, they cried out in great alarm, "Art 
thou come to torment us before the time" (Matt. 8:29)? 
James says, "the devils also believe, and tremble" (Jas. 2:19). 
They know God's arrangement, and dread the place which 
divine judgment has designed for their eternal doom. In 
Christ's time they preferred to enter the swine rather than be 
cast into the pit. Entering the swine, they caused their 
destruction; entering men, it means the same thing. The 
devil is ever bent on destruction, doing hurt to God's creation. 



670 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

God has prepared for him the bottomless pit where the lake of 
fire and the great chain are sufficient to hold him there 
foreyer. 

Hell was not prepared for man. No one with a true 
heart, living and walking with God, need have any fear of helll 
The child of God, so long as His face is set heavenward, has- 
passed that danger, as hell is behind him. He continues 
watching and praying, keeping on the narrow way. "He that 
heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath 
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is> 
passed from death unto life" (Jno. 5:24). The question has 
arisen in the minds of some as to whether we could be happy 
in eternity if we, like Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, saw loved 
ones in torment. Such questions and doubts must not be 
entertained, for they are from the evil one. Though our 
limited minds can not understand all these things, God has a 
way to arrange all things for the perfect and eternal happiness 
and well-being of all His children. All that we need to know 
is to take Him at His Word and all will be well. 

Who will Go there? 

1. "Death and Hell." — They will be cast into the lake 
of fire. (Rev. 20:14). The sinner unpardoned is "twice dead." 
The power of sin has dominion over him all his life, and 
because he makes no effort to escape, death comes along and 
shuts off all avenues of escape. The souls "dead in trespasses 
and sins" find themselves, after the judgment, in the lake of 
fire "which is the second death." All of death and all the 
doomed in hades or hell, will be cast into the lake of fire 
which burneth with brimstone forever and ever. 

2. The Wicked — will likewise be cast into hell. Psa. 
9:17. No one need doubt the meaning of the word hell in this 
text, for it is expressly stated that it is the place for the 
wicked. They are those who delight in ungodliness, following 
their own sinful lusts, enticing others into sin, rejoicing in the 
defeat and downfall of those who had followed the Lord Jesus 
Christ. Though the wicked may fare reasonably well in time, 



HELL 671 

they can not escape the just punishment for their sins in 
eternity. 

Not only will the extremely wicked be turned into this 
awful place, but all kinds of sinners ; the polite sinner as well 
as the rough sinner, the moral sinner as well as the immoral 
and degraded outcast. The polite, cultured, accomplished, 
moral sinner will not be justified, for he is a robber and a 
murderer — a robber, because he has robbed God of Hi^ glory 
by claiming righteousness on the merits of his own efforts ; a 
murderer, because he kept his own soul in bondage until death. 
Hence the moral sinner, notwithstanding his self-confessed 
goodness (Matt. 7:21-23), is a subject fit to be justly turned 
into hell. 

3. Those Who Forget God. — These also are doomed 
for the lake of fire. Psa. 9:17. Yes, people will forget God; 
Pharaoh knew not God, though he had God's people in his 
land. He knew not Joseph who had saved the land of Egypt 
from the ravages of famine. All this had been forgotten ; but 
because of his forgetfulness he came to grief. 

Nebuchadnezzar, who forgot God and ascribed all the 
power and splendor and glory of his kingdom to himself, was 
dethroned. 

Men and nations, in times of prosperity, are prone to 
forget God, live in ease and drift into wickedness, worship 
one another or self or something else, and because of the 
wickedness in their minds and hearts they do not like to retain 
God in their knowledge. Those who are in authority are 
largely responsible for the sins of a nation, and wicked rulers 
are doubly guilty before God for their own sins and for 
leading a nation astray. 

The wicked, and all the nations that forget God, shall be 
turned into hell. 

4. Those Who do not Repent. — Repentance is the 
gateway by which sinners escape the wrath of God and the 
doom of hell. Those who will not repent, frustrate the love 
and grace of God and reject the proffered gift, thereby choos- 



672 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

ing with the devil to oppose God and continue on the way to-- 
eternal doom where all perish. Luke 13:3. If there is such a 
thing as satisfaction among devils, they must surely have it 
when sinners refuse to repent, as the same means so many 
souls secure for the infernal regions. One thing that helps 
this awful work along is that the devil makes cowards of men,, 
so that they are ashamed to confess Christ before the world, at 
the same time putting on a bold face, hardening their hearts 
and blinding their eyes (II Cor. 4:4), making them more sure 
for Satan to hold them in his terrible grasp. 

There are many ways by which Satan induces people to 
refuse to repent. Whatever there is in the mind of the 
impenitent sinner that causes this refusal, the root is self. 
Carnal self-will leads men into all manner of sin and finally 
the ruined soul into endless hell, where boasting is changed 
into wailing and laughter into weeping. 

5. Hypocrites. — Of all the woes pronounced by Christ,, 
those against hypocrites are the most severe. The climax is 
reached in the question, "How can ye escape the damnation of 
hell" (Matt. 23:33)? 

A hypocrite is one who knows he is wrong but poses as a 
saint. His great object in life is to have people believe in his 
goodness and sound his praises. Why should any one be 
troubled and offended and refuse to repent and come into the 
Church because he imagines there are some hypocrites there? 
God will take care of all hypocrites and judge them accord- 
ingly. Matt. 24:51. To say nothing of the fact that there are 
more hypocrites out of the Church than in it, it is better to 
spend a few years in the Church where there are a few 
hypocrites than to spend their time with hypocrites out of the 
Church and eternity in hell with a host of them and receive 
like punishment with them. How foolish is the man in sin; 
how faulty his reasoning! 

Who are in Danger oe Going there? 
1. Persons Who Speak Disrespectfully. — "Whosoever 



HELL 673 

shall say, Thou fool (or graceless wretch) shall be in danger 
of hell fire" (Matt. 5:22). Christ is very emphatic on this 
point, and points out the greater danger of speaking disrespect- 
fully. The Pharisees spoke disrespectfully concerning Christ, 
asking if He were not a Samaritan and had a devil; at 
another time, "He casteth out devils by Beelzebub the prince 
of devils." Christ declared this kind of talk blasphemy against 
the Holy Ghost — a sin not to be forgiven, "neither in this 
world, neither in the world to come" (Matt 12:32). 

All profane language and every evil word shall be brought 
into judgment, because all such is speaking disrespectfully of 
God. People sometimes talk disrespectfully of one another, 
calling each other names. The tongue, the "unruly evil," will 
lead many a one into judgment, "for every sin and transgres- 
sion shall have its just recompense of reward." 

Sometimes church members, when admonished or correct- 
ed because of error, become very much excited and disrespect- 
ful in speech. They should remember that the shepherds of 
the flock have been set as watchmen over their souls, and that 
God will note every word or act of disrespect or insubordina- 
tion. To avoid being guilty in this respect, let us exercise all 
charity and submissiveness, teaching our children the same, 
and in this way much harm and loss of souls may be avoided. 

2. Offenders. — The awfulness of offence is conveyed to 
us by the language of Christ when He says, "Whoso shall 
offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were 
better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, 
and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto 
the world because of offences! for it must needs be that 
offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence 
cometh" (Matt. 18:6, 7). These offenders shall at the com- 
mand of the Son of man be gathered together out of the 
kingdom and cast into a furnace of fire. Matt. 13:41. There 
are many offenders who escape the notice of earthly powers, 
but when the King of kings comes forth to judgment not one 
of them shall escape. 



674 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

3. Careless and indifferent Church Members. — The sad 
thought that church members should be in danger of hell fire 
is before us; but the teachings of Christ and the apostles 
bring to our minds that such is the fact. The foolish virgins, 
Annanias and Sapphira, Simon the sorcerer, Demas and others 
are examples of members who professed but did not possess. 
The life and conduct of many professors of religion -give 
evidence that their interest is not heavenly but carnal. Pro- 
fessors who do not read their Bibles, do not pray, who join 
hands with the world in vain amusements and display, are 
disobedient to God and to the Church, are bent on having 
their own way rather than submit to God, are all in danger of 
becoming completely wrapped in sin and its terrible conse- 
quences. The Bible will always lead us aright, but self will 
always lead us astray. The way of escape is by Matt. 5 :29, 
30. The careless professor fails in this that he makes no 
effort to stay close to Christ ; he takes pleasure in sin and 
therefore keeps on the dangerous road of self-indulgence and 
is lost. Christ says, "Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and 
come after me, can not be my disciple." 

The Doomed in Hell 

1. They do not Desire the Place. — This is evident from 
the description which the Bible gives of the experiences of 
those whose lot it will be to spend eternity there. The rich 
man prayed that a warning might be sent to his five brethren 
not to come there. The bitter wailing and weeping, the 
unquenchable flames, the everlasting burnings, the torment day 
and night forever, these are among the evidences that the 
place is very undesirable and that those whose bitter lot it 
will be to spend eternity there have been lured into choosing 
the path that leads there, through the deception of the enemy 
and destroyer of human souls. 

2. They have no Desire for Company. — The plea of 
Dives to father Abraham that he might send Lazarus to tell 
his five brothers to keep away is evidence of this fact. In 
hell no prayers are answered, which makes the begging and 



HELL 675 

the pleadings all the more painful. All men should pray while 
grace abounds and the door of mercy is open. There is no 
mercy in hell. 

3. They have no Rest. — The fire continues to burn, the 
worm dieth not. Moaning, wailing, weeping, sobbing, lament- 
ing, gnashing of teeth, and all the saddening, woeful sounds of 
numberless, troubled and tormented souls continues. Where 
could rest be found under such circumstances? Where suffer- 
ing and remorse and despair continue, where fire and demons 
torment, no rest can be found — no — no rest in hell ! Rev. 
14:10, 11. 

4. They are Brought down to Hell by the Almighty. — 
Men and nations are puffed up in pride, haughtiness and vain 
boasting. Riches and worldly honor give men place and 
prestige that all the powers of a nation are not able to subdue 
them. They defy God and man, doing what pleases them, 
regardless of their duty toward God or man, regardless of the 
highest interests of their never dying souls. All this vain 
power of sinful man will crumble and fall before the justice 
and judgment of God. Lucifer, the fallen angels, all sinful 
men who in their life-time have rejected the love and mercy 
of God shall all be brought down to hell. "And thou, Caper- 
naum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down 
to hell" (Matt. 11:23). 

Sinful man says that God is too merciful to send a soul 
to hell. True, God is merciful; but He is also true. He will 
take care of His own, but these have chosen not to be His 
and are therefore not His own. He takes them at their word 
and gives them the lot which they have chosen for themselves. 

God is not so merciful that He makes His Word untrue. 
It is impossible for God to lie. Of the wicked He says, 
"These shall go away into everlasting punishment," and His 
Word can not be broken. 

5. They are Tormented Day and Night forever. — Man 
in his sinful state is unstable and wavering, full of unbelief, 
blind in sin and folly, groping around in darkness, ever trying 



676 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

to discover a way of escape. He finds nothing to give reai 
satisfaction to his soul, though he constantly declares some 
new discoveries of truth which he claims God's people had 
not before understood. This kind of men are continually 
finding supposed errors in the Bible, mistranslations or some- 
thing else by which they have hell and torment pretty well out 
of the way. Then there is the second chance idea of some 
who imagine that there will be another chance for salvation 
during the millennium; and the idea of a purgatory, by which 
theory sinners will be punished only for a time and then go on 
to glory. But all such are false doctrines, spread abroad by 
the agents of hell to deceive the people. 

Listen! God says, "Tormented forever and ever" (Rev. 
14:11); "These shall go away into everlasting punishment" 
(Matt. 25:46); and that "If any man shall add unto these 
things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in 
this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of 
the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out 
of the book of life, and out of the holy city'' (Rev. 22:18, 19). 

6. They shall have no possible Way of Escape. — There 
is no such thing as reprieving or pardoning from hell. All 
efforts to escape fail there. All the wicked must go there and 
remain there. In life, men climb over walls, break locks, bars, 
and windows, dig tunnels, and resort to other means of 
escaping justice; but from the prison-house of eternal fire 
there are no such escapes or deliveries. 

The answer to the rich man was, "There is a great gulf 
fixed" — a great space, a wide abyss that can not be crossed 
either way. The lake of fire holds all the souls which the 
second death claims, as well as the false prophet, all devils, 
and the wicked hosts that follow the false prophet — these all 
brought down by the Almighty to the place whence there is no 
escape. 

"The Ways of Death" 

Solomon says, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a 



HELL 677 

man; but the end thereof are the ways of death." It is these 
ways that we shall endeavor briefly to notice. 

1. The Broad Way. — "Broad is the way. that leadeth 
to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" (Matt. 
7:13). On this way all travel who fail to take up the yoke 
of Christ. In all nations and kindreds and tribes none will 
escape ruin it they merely allow themselves to travel m the 
ways of sin. Though there be a wide difference in society, 
yet on the broad way they can all travel together. The man 
who drinks champagne in a stylish club-room would not be 
found in society with the man who drinks beer in a dirty 
saloon : the bank president's daughter who dances in fashion- 
able ball-rooms would not associate with the servant girl who 
dances in a place of low repute — though they travel the bread 
road at widely separated ranges, yet by and by, if they do not 
repent, Lhey will all meet the same doom in hell. 

The broad road is wide enough to accommodate all castes 
in society as well as all grades of sinners. The hypocrite in 
the Church, the self-righteous moralist outside the Church, 
the extortioner, the thief, the liar, the fornicator, the harlot, 
the drunkard, the murderer; the haughty, the vain, and the 
proud; the pleasure seeker, the theater-goer, the lodge-man — 
these are all on the broad road. 

The force of attraction in this worldly stream of hu- 
manity is very great, and many well-meaning people are drawn 
into it. Because they did not heed the Spirit's voice they were 
drawn away from their resolution to walk on the narrow way 
and drifted into the ways of sin. Others were deceived into 
this way by the cunning craftiness of Satan, thinking them- 
selves to be on the heavenly way while drifting down the 
b^oad way of the world. People who do not take to them- 
selves the cross of Christ are all on the broad way. 

2. The Self-righteous Way. — The self-righteousness of. 
the scribes and Pharisees had so blinded their eyes that they 
refused to believe that they had any sins. They were al- 
together too high up to be humiliated by accepting the teach- 



678 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

ings of the lowly Nazarene. They accused Christ of being a 
wine-bibber and glutton, a friend of publicans and sinners, 
thus prejudicing the minds of some by misrepresentations — 
all in the name of righteousness — deceiving themselves with 
others, and finally committed the blackest crime on earth by 
crucifying the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The hatred of a self-righteous man toward those who 
expose his sins is very great, arousing a jealousy that amounts 
to murder. Envy and jealousy are two prominent traits of 
the self-righteous man. The sin of self-righteousness is a 
lamentable one, as it shuts the light out of the benighted 
heart, blocks the way to conviction, and in every way hinders 
the work of salvation. 

3. The World-compromising Way. — In this day, when 
the devil does his most effective work not as a roaring lion 
but as an angel of light, the tendency is for churches to 
make compromises on most any point so that the Church 
and the world may walk together. The serious question 
arises, In what respects are church members different from 
worldlings? Where is the cross-bearing (Matt. 16:24)? where 
is the separation (II Cor. 6:17)? Instead of the Gospel stand 
of complete separation from the world, of clear testimony for 
a whole-Gospel religion and against sin in all its forms, we 
are pained to witness a yoking together of Church and world 
in fashions, in the secret lodge, in war, in carnal pleasure, in 
theater patronage, in almost every form of evil. Occasionally 
there is a spasmodic outcry against some sin. Some will cry 
out against the saloon, but are silent on the secret lodge ; 
others will cry out against the lodge, but walk hand in hand 
with the world in fashions ; others cry out against fashion, but 
are silent about disobedience to God along other lines. Unless 
we give ourselves wholly to the Lord, make a complete sur- 
render to Him, are willing to stand entirely aloof from all 
forms of sin and worldliness, and testify clearly and in no 
mistaken tones against all sin however popular, the result is 



HELL 679 

world-compromising which sooner or later makes us slaves 
under the yoke of worldliness. 

The Warning 

1. There is a Way of Escape for the Living. — A 

feeling of sadness comes over the writer while noting one 
sinful thing after another of which the human family is guilty 
and the doing of which will bring so many of them to endless 
ruin. We are conscious that only a small part of what might 
have been said has been touched upon in this chapter, and that 
the horrors of hell are such that they can not be fully de- 
scribed by human tongue or pen; yet the Word of God says 
enough to make it absolutely certain that every sinner may 
take warning and escape this terrible place of woe and awful 
torment. 

This then is the consolation : Life is the time when the 
sinner may be reconciled to God. Our loving heavenly Father 
is now, and has been down the ages, making efforts to save 
His creatures from the ruin of sin and hell. To all the 
unsaved in every clime and age there comes this warning of 
love: "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will 
ye die." "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the 
earth." There is a Rock, a sure foundation, for all who will 
come upon it. "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." 

This is precious time, and when wasted can not be re- 
gained. A life spent in sin can not be lived over again. Let 
every soul make the best use of present opportunity, flee the 
wrath to come, and accept mercy while the door of mercy is 
still open and grace abounds. "Therefore be ye also ready: 
for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh" 
(Matt. 24:44). 

2. The Dead can not Escape. — This fact has before 
been presented, but we repeat it for emphasis. We wish to 
warn all who may read these lines that they should not trifle 
with the hellish doctrine that after death there will be another 
chance to repent. This doctrine is as cunning and enticing as 



680 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

it is false. The Scripture is plain and emphatic that the time 
for pardon and reconciliation is during this period of grace 
(Eccl. 11:3; Matt. 11:28), and that after that time the door 
is closed (Matt. 7:22; 25:1-13). Satan uses the same methods 
of temptation that he used when he tempted Eve. He prom- 
ises what seems much more and better than what God prom- 
ises. God's promises are sufficient. He promises a life time 
to be saved and in His service; but here comes the deceiver 
and says, "If you should fail to please God in this life, you 
will still have a chance to repent after death." This is so 
false that any one who will be enlightened can not fail to see. 
As one falls asleep in death, so will he awaken in the morning 
of the resurrection. 



CHAPTER III 

HEAVEN 

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is 
your reward in heaven. — Matt. 5:12. 

"The best last" is not only a sentimental saying of man, 
but it is one of the happy provisions of an all-wise Creator. 
Here we enjoy countless and unmerited blessings, but the best 
of earth is mixed with trials and pain and care and death. 
In the bright hereafter all that saddens the soul of man will 
be done away. Eternity, for the child of God, means one 
unbroken, unalloyed, endless experience of "joy unspeakable 
and full of glory." God has designed that this should come 
last; that after the trials of earth there should come the 
triumphs of heaven: that when the glory of the future will 
appear the sorrows of the present will be forever past. It is 
but fitting, therefore, in harmony with this beneficent pro- 
vision of a loving Father, to consider as the last chapter in 
this volume the theme which is at once the best, the sweetest, 
the dearest, the most charming, and the grandest of all themes 
— HEAVEN. The kind reader is asked to join us in our 
meditations upon what heaven is, upon the way to get there, 
who will go there, and what will be our experiences after we 
are there. 

Definitions 
There are three heavens : 

1. The aerial heavens — where the birds fly, the winds 
blow, the clouds float, the showers are formed. 

2. The broad expanse — the region of the stars. 

3. The "heaven of heavens"— the place where God dwells, 
"the paradise of God." It is the eternal dwelling place of 



682 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

God, of the holy angels, and of the blood-washed throng, 
redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. 

When Christ said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away," 
He evidently meant the second heaven, which we are told 
shall, at the time when "the elements shall melt with fervent 
heat," "pass away with a great noise." 

How Characterized 

1. "A Place." — Jesus said to His troubled disciples: 
"Let not your heart be troubled .... I go to prepare a place 
for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will 
come again, and receive you unto myself ; that where I am, 
there ye may be also" (Jno. 14:1-3). It will be seen from 
this testimony that heaven is not merely a condition, as some 
would have us believe, but it actually is a place, where God 
the Savior dwells, and where the saints of God will spend 
eternity with Him. 

2. A "Holy Place." — Isaiah refers to the dwelling place 
of God as "the high and holy place." It is a holy place, 
because its inhabitants are holy. The Father, Son, and Holy 
Ghost are infinitely above all creatures which they have created. 
Hear the voice of the cherubim: "Holy, holy, holy, is the 
Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isa. 
6:3). Read Vs. 3 to 5. Oh, that the remembrance of His 
holiness might thus affect all the impure and unclean to cause 
them to come to the Fountain for cleansing. The place is 
holy because of Him who dwells therein. "I dwell," says He, 
"in the high and holy place." The holy of holies in the 
Tabernacle typified heaven. Heb. 9:1-12. 

To those who expect to spend eternity there the com- 
mandment of the Lord is, "Be ye holy, for I am holy" (I Pet. 
1:16). The angels of God are spoken of as "holy angels." 
Nothing unholy will ever be admitted there. "And there shall 
in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatso- 
ever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which 
are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Rev. 21:27). With- 



HEAVEN 683 

out peace and holiness, no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 
12:14. Hear the answer of the Lord, through Isaiah, to the 
following statements and questions : "The sinners in Zion are 
afraid ; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among 
us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall 
dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, 
and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppres- 
sions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that 
stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes . 
from seeing evil ; he shall dwell on high .... his waters shall 
be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty; they 
shall behold the land that is very far off" (Isa. 33:14-17). 
Holy, forever holy, is the dwelling place of God and His 
people. 

3. A "Garner." — "He shall gather his wheat into the 
garner" (Matt. 12:3). Heaven is the place where the golden 
wheat will be kept in safety forever to the glory of God and 
the richness of His eternal kingdom. 

4. A "Better Country" (Heb. 11:16) — This earth seems 
good enough for a great many people, judging from the 
attitude they take concerning things above, toward Him that 
dwells "in the high and holy place," in "the land that is very 
for off." But this world with all that therein is ("The lust of 
the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of life") will 
soon pass away, while the "better country" endureth forever. 
We call it a "better country" than this, because — 

In this, riches are endangered by moth, rust, and thieves ; 
while in the next they are safe, they endure, and are reserved. 
Matt. 6:19, 20; II Tim. 1:12. 

In this, all flesh, like grass, withers; in the next, they 
live forever. I Pet. 1:24; I Cor. 15:54; Rev. 21:4. 

In this, the wicked trouble us, we get weary and worn; 
in the next, "the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary 
are at rest" (II Thes. 6:9; Job. 3:17). 

In this, we have sickness, pain, heartaches, disappoint- 
ments, sorrows, many tears ; in the next, there will be no 



684 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

sickness nor pain, and all tears will be wiped from our eyes. 

In this, the poor are oppressed, there is trafficking in the 
souls of men, all manner of debauchery and sin, barbarous 
wars, Christless secret orders and rebellious unions, swearing 
and lying and cheating and stealing and pride and envy and 
murder; in the next, these things never enter and better 
conditions exist by far, as proven by the brief statement: 
" Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new 
heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (II 
Pet. 3:13). 

God's people, in all ages, have longed for this "better 
country, confessing themselves pilgrims and strangers in this, 
desiring to "depart and be with Christ, which is far better." 

Conditions 

1. Holiness. — We have already noticed what God had 
to say of the place : "the high and holy place ;" that defile- 
ment can never enter there, and that in purity and in holiness 
will God and His holy family spend eternity there. 

Peter refers to the lot of God's people as "an inheritance 
incorruptible, and undefiled, that fadeth not away." 

2. Happiness. — At God's right hand are "pleasures 
forevermore" (Psa. 16:11). Well has the poet said: 

"When we've been there ten thousand years, 

Bright, shining as the sun, 
We've no less days to sing God's praise, 

Than when we first begun." 

Free from the sorrows and trials and turmoils and sins 
of earth, living in that "better country," with better conditions 
and better associations than any that we can ever hope to have 
in this world, there is in store for all the ransomed hosts of 
God an eternity of joy unmixed with pain or sadness. 

We must not, however, form the idea that the Christian 
is denied all happiness before he reaches heaven; but on the 
contrary, the Christian life is a service of joy, as may be 
inferred from the following scriptures: 



HEAVEN 685 

"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward 
in heaven" (Matt. 5:12). 

"Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven" 
(Luke 19:20). 

"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now 
ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable 
and full of glory" (I Pet. 1:8). 

"Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, rejoice" 
(Phil. 4:4). 

Indeed the Christian life, the only soul-satisfying life, is 
the only life which tastes of the pure and unadulterated joy 
and glory of the world above, is the only life which has the 
satisfaction of the abiding presence of the Holy Comforter 
while the trials and conflicts of life bring distress and sorrow 
to imperfect man. Flesh and blood (I Cor. 15:50), the 
dimness of our heavenly vision (I Cor. 13:12), manifold 
temptations (I Pet. 1:5, 6), necessary chastisements (Heb. 
12:11), concern for the lost world (Rom. 9:1-3), and many 
other things mar our joys and happiness now; but when we 
leave this house of pain and world so vain, when we are 
ushered into the presence of God and our mortality has put on 
immortality, then we shall enjoy to the full all that God has 
in store for us and our ransomed souls will join the heavenly 
hosts in singing "Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanks- 
giving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God 
forever and forever." 

3. Purity. — Concerning the regions outside of heaven 
it is written, "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whore- 
mongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth 
and maketh a lie" (Rev. 22:15). "The fearful, and unbeliev- 
ing, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, 
and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their 
part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone" (Rev. 
21 :8). Oh, what would even earth be with all these excluded f 
Who can fathom the blessedness of the deep, sweet rest and 
joy of the redeemed in glory! — out of sight and reach of all 



686 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

danger, forever removed from the corruption and debauchery 
and the devil and his hosts. How foolish the thought that 
these should be admitted to mar the purity of sinless heaven. 
4. Glory. — It was nearly two thousand years ago that 
the heavenly host sang "glory to God in the highest." We 
think of the glory which envelops the throne in heaven; of 
the majesty and power and goodness and love and purity and 
wisdom and dominion of the mighty King of kings and Lord 
of lords ; of saints and angels in unnumbered millions sur- 
rounding the throne in glory; of the immeasurable dimensions, 
the indescribable beauty, the matchless purity, the perfect 
happiness in the land where there is no need of the sun 
because the Lamb is the light thereof, and our hearts burst 
forth in exclamations of praise. Glorious are both the throne 
and He that sitteth thereon. Happy are they whose lot it 
will be to share in this glory in a never-ending reign. 

Fit Subjects for Heaven 

Of the fitness of the Holy Trinity and of the holy angels 

we need not write. The practical phase of this subject is that 

which pertains to man. Turning the light of God's Word 

.upon this subject, we find that the, following have the promise: 

1. Little Children. — Think of the great company of 
little children, out of every nation, who will be there, "for of 
such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:2, 3). "Behold, 
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" 
(Jno. 1:29). All are under the blood in infancy. "In heaven 
their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is 
jn heaven." 

2. The Good.— In the parable of the net (Matt. 13:47, 
48) we are told that in the final reckoning the bad will be 
-cast away and the good will be kept for the Master. It is 
the test which will mark the great division in the final judg- 
ment — the good and the bad, the righteous and the unright- 
eous, the saved and the lost, the glorified and the doomed. 
Who are the good? They are — 



HEAVEN 687 

3. The "born again." — "Except a man be born again,, 
he can not see the kingdom of God.'' For those who make 
themselves sinners by actual transgressions there is a special 
salvation on condition that they believe. Acts 13:39; Rom. 
3:28; Eph. 2:8-10. "Whosoever will, let him take of the 
water of life freely" (Rev. 22:17). Reader, are you one of 
the whosoevers ? But we must have the proper seal to be 
recognized there. Mere morality, without Christ, will not be 
recognized as a passport. "All our righteousnesses are as 
filthy rags" (Isa. 64:8). Of these we must be stripped and 
become as beggars at the door of divine mercy and receive the 
garments of righteousness and true holiness (Zech. 3 :3, 4), 
"He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the 
beggar from the dunghill, to set them among the princes, and 
to make them inherit the throne of glory" (I Sam. 2:8). A 
form of godliness without the power thereof is not sufficient 
to commend us to God. II Tim. 3 :5. Form without power 
was the crowning sin of the Jewish Church, and will be of 
the Gentile Church also. II Tim. 3:1-5. People may pride 
themselves upon a godly ancestry, upon a good moral character, 
or upon their mighty works ; but without the new birth they 
can not be admitted to the eternal joys of heaven. It takes 
"the washing of regeneration" and the "renewing of the Holy 
Ghost" to entitle us to become "heirs according to the hope of 
eternal life." We must have the seal of "the Holy Spirit of 
promise" (Eph. 1:13); for, "If any man have not the Spirit 
of Christ, he is none' of his." 

4. The Obedient. — All may have this seal if we ask 
and obey. Luke 11:9-13. The Holy Spirit sheds abroad the 
love of God in our hearts to such a degree that we are not: 
ashamed, gives us peace and joy (which is an earnest of our 

inheritance — a foretaste), "for the kingdom of God is 

righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom.. 
14:17; Eph. 1:14). Hear the Word that is "forever settled 
in heaven:" "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and! 
docth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which, built hiss 



688 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

bouse upon a rock; and the rain descended, and the floods 
came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it 
fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." Only they who 
are obedient to God have the promise of the eternal inherit- 
ance. "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his com- 
mandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (I Jno. 
2:4). To fear God and obey His commandments is "the 
whole duty of man." "Be thou faithful unto death, and I 
will give thee a crown of life" (Rev. 2:10). 

5. The Righteous. — They who have thrown aside the 
righteousness of self, who have been saved from their sins, 
who have put on the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Especially 
they who are persecuted for righteousness sake, have the 
promise. Matt. 5 :6 ; 25 :46. "What are these which are 
arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?" "Sir, thou 
knowest .... These are they which came out of great tribula- 
tion, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the 
blood of the Lamb" (Rev. 7:13, 14). 

No Respect of Persons. — God recognizes no caste. Race 
prejudice will never close the door of heaven against any race 
or class of people. "God is no respecter of persons : but in 
every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, 
is accepted with him" (Acts 10:34, 35). God's great love 
comprehended the world in the plan of salvation (Jno. 3:16), 
and so in obedience to the Great Commission we must "preach 
the Gospel to every creature" that whosoever "believeth, and is 
baptized, shall be saved." 

The Way to Glory 
1. Is by Jesus Christ. — Thomas asked, "How can we 
know the way?" Hear the answer from the lips of our Lord: 
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto 
the Father, but by me" (Jno. 14:6). By Him we have received 
the atonement; by Him we received power to do His good 
pleasure. He "is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and 
sanctification, and redemption" (I Cor. 1:30). There is no 
other way. 



HEAVEN 689 

2. Is Narrow. — "Enter ye in at the strait gate," says 
'Christ, "for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that 
leadeth to destruction .... Strait is the gate, and narrow is 
the way, which leadeth unto life" (Matt. 7:13, 14). In Luke 
13:24 we find these words: "Strive to enter in at the strait 
gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and 
shall not be able." Christ warns His followers against false 
prophets who want to widen the way. This way is just as 
wide as the truth — no wider, no narrower. How eager we 
should be to "know the truth" and to gladly obey when we 
find it; for who has the power to remove "one jot" or "tittle" 
of the Word? 

3. Is the Way of Holiness. — "It shall be called the 
way of holiness," are the words of the prophet. Heaven is 
reached by no other route. He who would enter into the 
realms of the blest must choose this path while the oppor- 
tunity of choice is still his to exercise. The way of the world 
is condemned. Eph. 2:2. The way of holiness can be traveled 
by holy people only. "If we walk in the light, as he is in the 
light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of 
Jesus Christ .... cleanseth us from all sin." 

Inhabitants 

We have spoken of heaven as the eternal dwelling place 
•of Father, Son, Holy Ghost, the holy angels, and the saints of 
God; as the place where sin and defilement is forever ban- 
ished, where there is no need of the sun because the Lamb is 
the light thereof; of the blessed experiences and hallowed 
associations which will render this a place of purity, of holi- 
ness, of joy, and of glory forever. A few more references 
may strengthen the believer and deepen his hope for that 
which is to come. 

God is there, will be there, in glory and in power. 
Psa. 11:4; Dan. 5:23; Matt. 11:25. Christ our Mediator 
entered heaven (Acts 3:21; Heb. 6:20) where, one with the 
Father and the Holy Ghost, He is all powerful. Matt. 28:18. 



690 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

Heaven is God's throne. He fills heaven and earth (Jer. 
23 :24) and His glory is imparted to all His people forever. 

The Holy Angels are there. iMatt. 18:10; 24:36. In 
heaven they behold the face of our Father, and are there 
subject to the will of God and ready to do His bidding in all 
things. When Christ was on trial before men He had only to 
speak the word and "more than twelve legions of angels from 
heaven" would have been ready to come to His rescue. Heaven 
will be dearer because of the presence and glory of the angelic 
hosts. 

Saints will be there, as already noticed under the head 
of "Fit Subjects for Heaven." These, we understand, include 
all those called from time to eternity in their childhood inno- 
cence, as well as those who, after coming to years of account- 
ability, gave their hearts to God and had their souls washed 
and made white in the blood of the Lamb. The spirits of those 
gone before are even now in the presence of God, and after 
the resurrection and final judgment with glorified bodies they 
will reign with Christ "forever and ever" (Rev. 22:5). "They 
that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament 
.... as the stars forever and ever" (Dan. 12:3). 

Concluding Thoughts 

Some Questions. — Many questions are asked concerning 
the coming experiences of saints in heaven which can not be 
fully and positively answered here, for God has seen it wise- 
to withhold the information. True, we learn many things by 
inference; and in this way have a fairly clear idea of things 
which are not clearly and definitely taught direct. Others are 
mere speculation, and to say positively that it will be so 
and so, when the Bible is silent on such things is neither 
profitable nor wise. There is one thing, however, we do know: 
God has made every provision for our hapiness and well being 
and endless glory, so that when our eyes are opened in glory 
it will be found that our cup of joy and glory will be full,, 
that God's plans were wisely laid, His provisions fully made. 



HEAVEN 691 

This question settled, we call attention to another which 
so far as practical value is concerned overshadows all others 
.as to how it will be in heaven: "Where will you spend 
eternity?" Am I prepared? Am I ready now? If we will let 
God cleanse our cups now we know that He will make them 
full in eternity. If we neglect salvation now, will there be 
another chance after death? Hear — not what some false 
prophet may have to say, but what He who has all power in 
heaven and on earth has to say: "If the tree falleth toward 
the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree 
falleth, there it shall be" (Eccl. 11:3). "Then said Jesus 
again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and 
shall die in your sins : whither I go, ye can not come .... for 
if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (Jno. 
•8:21-24). "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after 
this the judgment." "Behold, NOW is the accepted time." 

Lean on the Word. In all your meditations upon what 
the future has in store for man, and what it takes to be in 
readiness for the companionship with God and saints and 
angels in eternity, fear not and fail not to lean upon the Word. 
Men may be honest and yet mistaken; but the Word of the 
Lord is unerring and everlasting. "The word of our God 
•endureth forever." It is the lamp unto our feet, a light to our 
pathway, our Judge in the end. It is God's message to man, 
full of unerring wisdom, rich instructions, glorious promises, 
telling us how to escape the snares and the defilement of sin, 
and of the way from earth to glory. 

"How precious is the book divine, 

By inspiration given, 
Bright as a lamp its doctrines shine, 

To guide our souls to heaven. 

"This lamp through all the tedious night 

Of life shall guide our way, 
Till we behold the clearer light 

Of an eternal day." 

Eternity! Who can fathom the word? Endless in 



692 BIBLE DOCTRINE 

duration and in possibilities, it has been a fruitful theme for 
many golden meditations. But the practical question connected 
with it is, Where will you spend it? For the child of God the 
thought of eternity is especially precious. Heaven of itself, 
free from all that defiles and saddens, rich in all that ennobles 
and beautifies and gladdens, is a theme that calls forth our 
profoundest admiration and reverence. And then to think 
that these conditions will continue forever and that God's 
love and goodness are so great that provisions were made 
whereby unworthy creatures like ourselves are to be admitted 
into its glorious realms and with glorified bodies live and 
reign forever overwhelms our souls with feelings of deepest 
gratitude and calls from us the notes of fervent praise. It 
often lifts our drooping heads, cheers our despondent hearts, 
thrills our enraptured souls, and prompts us to sing — 

''Often weary and worn on the pathway below, 
When the burden is heavy, my heart throbs with woe, 
Oh there comes a sweet whisper, to quell every sigh, 
Do not faint 'neath the load, there is rest by and by. 

"You will not labor long for the Master below, 
Soon His call you will hear, your free spirit shall go 
To the light of His presence in mansions on high, 
Where the faithful repose, there is rest by and by. 

"Then, dear Savior, I would not in sadness repine, 
Nor would here on a bed of sweet roses recline; 
For a country I seek where they never more die, 
And in Zion my home, there is rest by and by." 



"Though worn with battle-wounds and scars, 

Yet true to Christ in love, 
We'll dwell with God beyond the stars 

At home, in heaven above." 



SUBJECT INDEX 



Adoption, 190, 272. 
Blessings of, 274. 
Fountain-head of, 273. 
Privilege of God's Chil- 
dren, 275. 
Sonship, 274. 
Results of, 276. 
Who May Claim It? 273. 

i 
Angels, 77. 
Attributes 

Benevolence, 82. 

Glory, 82. 

Goodness, 82. 

Happiness, 82. 

Immortality, 80. 

Individuality, 80. 

Intelligence, 81. 

Power, 81. 

Spirituality, 79. 
Eternal Destiny, 87. 
Habitation, 86. 
Number, 79. 
Offices and Work, 83. 
Origin of, 78. 
Saints and Angels, 86. 

Anointing with Oil, 364, 433. 
An Ancient Practice, 433. 
A Religious Ceremony, 434. 
Xew Testament Authority, 

433- 
Purpose of, 435. 

Apocryphe, 118. 

Atonement, 194. 

Condition of Man Without 

197. 
Conditions upon w T hich it 

may be Received. 21 1. 
How Accomplished, 200. 
Nature and Extent of, 

206, 209. 
Need and Purpose of, 199. 
Objections Answered, 196. 

Augustine, 137. 



Baptism, 231, 354. 

Abuses of, 387. 

Ancient Sculptures and Fres- 
coes, 385. 

Baptism in History, 379. 

Baptism not Regeneration, 
373. 

Baptism of Suffering, 364. 

Baptism soon after Con- 
version, 373. 

Design of, 367, 368. 

"Divers Washings," 354, 355. 

Does Water Baptism Pre- 
cede Spirit Baptism? 
370. 

Infant Baptism, 378, 382. 

Instances of, 37$, 371, 372, 
378. 

John's Baptism, 357. 

Mode, 361, 365. 

One Application Sufficient, 
371. 

Place of, 363. 

Purifying, 360, 367. 

Red Sea Baptism, 356. 

Romans 6:3-6, 374. 

Spirit Baptism, 366. 

The Light of Prophecy, 358. 

Views of Menno Simon, 360, 
383. 

Water Baptism, 364, 366. 

"With Water," 362. 

Benevolent Institutions, 345. 

Bible, the, 88. 
A Knowledge of, 497. 
Arrangement of Old Testa- 
ment, 93. 
Books of, 92. 

Christians are Subject to, 572 
Formation of the Canon, 116. 
Inspiration of, 100. 

Erroneous Theories, 105. 
Objections Considered, 113. 
Plenary Inspiration, 108. 
Proofs, 102. 

Testimonies of Scholarly 
Men, 112. 



694 



BIBLE DOCTRINE 



Words and Thoughts In- 
spired, no. 
Writers Inspired, 109. 
Preservation of the Canon, 

120. 
Titles and Symbols, 89. 
Unity and Design of, 94. 

Carnality, 168, 483. 

Chastisement, 229, 243. 

Christ, Z7, 191, 215. 
A Sanctifier, 263. 
Atoning Merits of His 
Blood, 191, 202, 263. 
Doctrine of, in O. T. 98. 
Head of the Church, 288. 
His Death, 208, 238, 479. 
His Divinity, 37, 39. 
His Gospel, 215. 
His Example, 479, 535, 545, 

605. 
His Humanity, 38, 39. 
His Humility, 606. 
His Resurrection, 238, 242. 
His Sacrifice, 200, 203, 204. 
His Second Coming, 649. 

Effect of, 652, 653. 

Signs of, 649. 

Time of, 649. 
His Temptation, 39, 153. 
His Vicarious Suffering, 197. 
His Work Among Men, 607. 
Our Teacher, 478, 535. 
The Hope of Glory, 608. 

Christian Perfection, 462, 600. 

Christian Salutation, the, 428. 
Right Hand of Fellowship, 

429. 
The Holy Kiss, 429. 
The Personal Greeting, 428. 

Church, the, 281, 466. 

A Place for every Member, 
289. 

Apostolic Church, 284, 539. 

Call of Ministers, 317, 320. 

Church Discipline, 327. 

Church Extension, 299. 

Church Fathers, 124. 

Conferences, 285, 286, 336. 

Danger for Indifferent Mem- 
bers, 674. 



Gospel Requirements for Ad- 
mission, 286. 

Government of, 288. 

Historical, 282. 

Organization, 283. 

Propagation of, 303. 

Relation between Church 
and State, 296. 

Restoration of the Erring, 
290. 

The Congregation, 336. 

The Hope of, 636. 

The Mission of, 299. 

Work of, 576. 

Clement, 124, 137. 

Communion, the, 389. 

A Blessed Privilege, 402. 
Appropriate Symbols, 392. 
Close Communion, 394. 
Consubstantiation, 394. 
Frequency of, 401. 
Meaning and Use, 389. 
Open Communion, 396. 
Qualifications of Communi- 
cants, 400. 
The Full Meal, 398. 
Time of, 402. 
Transubstiation, 393. 

Condemnation, 232, 235, 395. 

Congregation, the, 335. 
Discipline, 524. 
Duties of Laity to Ministry, 

341- 
Duties of Ministry to Laity, 

338. 
Governmental Authority, 292, 

337- 
Helps, 347. 
Hindrances, 346. 
Obligations and Privileges, 

337-. 
Organization, 334. 
Part of the Church, 336. 
Personal Work, 502. 
Qualifications of Member-' 

ship, 334. 
The Layman's Opportunities, 

344- 

Consecration, 356. 



SUBJECT INDEX 



695 



Conversion, 231, 239, 287. 
Commanded, 244. 
How Accomplished, 241. 
Mistaken Views Concerning, 

246. 
Necessity of, 244. 
Results of, 245. 
Stepping Stones to, 240. 
The New Life, 482. 

Creation, the, 47. 
Evolution Theory, 60. 
Genesis as Contrasted with 

other Writings, 48. 
Harmony of True Science 

with the Bible, 53, 59. 
Heavenly Harmonies, 48. 
Illustrations from Nature, 49. 
Order of, 51. 
Some Theories Noted, 54. 
The Fact of, 47. 
The Genesis Account of, 51, 

56, 58. 
The Miracle in Creation, 57. 

Cyprian, 124, 138. 

Death, 468, 642. 
Errors, 644. 

Annihiliationism, 645. 
Limited Duration of Pun- 
ishment, 646. 
Second Chance after Death 
193, 646. 
Is Death Cruel? 647. 
Natural Death, 642, 643. 
Origin of, 642. 
Spiritual Death, 642, 644. 
Ways of Death, 676. 

Demons, 145. 

Devotional Covering, 416. 

A Distinctive Covering, 425. 

An Exposition of I Cor. 
11:1-16, 417. 

Some Practical Questions, 
416. 

To be vv?orn by all Christ- 
ian Women, 426. 

Dionysius, 138. 

Drunkenness, 163, 517. 

Education, 345. 



Eternity, 62, 179, 641, 667, 691. 
Lusebius, 124, 137, 380. 

Faith, 61, 213, 241, 243, 255, 

264, 287. 
A Protection to Christians, 

221. 
Destroys Self-exaltation, 221. 
Faith and Hope, 628, 633. 
Faith and Humility, 614. 
Faith and Works, 237. 
How Obtained, 222. 
Kinds of, 215. 
Objects of, 214. 
Results of a Faithless Life, 

219. 
Work of, 220. 

Fall of Man, 72, 153, 173, 184, 
268, 512. 

False Chrises and Prophets, 
154, 155. 

1 
Family of God, 274. 

Feet Washing, 404. 
As a Custom, 406. 
As an Ordinance, 407. 
Historical, 404. 
Its Continuance, 412. 
Mark of a Worthy Widow, 

411. 
One of the "All Things," 

404, 405. 
Some Questions Answered, 

412. 
Why Observe It Literally? 

408, 411. 



Fellowship, 473. 
Formality, 464. 
Free Agency, 67, 149. 
Glorification, 236. 

God, 21, 190. 

Divine Attributes, 26. 
Eternity, 28, 62. 
Goodness, 34. 
Holiness, 35. 
Immortality, 28, 62. 
Incomprehensibility, 45. 
Infinity, 26. 



t 



c96 



BIBLE DOCTRINE 



Justice, 33. 

Love, 36. 

Omnipotence, 31, 62. 

Omnipresence, 62. 

Omiscience, 30. 

Spirituality, 25, 29. 

Truth, 34. 

Unity, 27. 

Wisdom, 32. 
His Drawing Power, 241. 
His Existence, 25. 
His Power Over Nations, 

544- 
His Word and Regeneration, 

253. 
Revelation of, 21. 
The Trinity, 42. 

Grace, 613. 

Heaven, 681. 

Blessings in Store for the 

Obedient, 468, 687. 
Christ the Way to, 688. 
Conditions, 684. 
Description of, 682. 
Eternity, 691. 
Fit Subjects for, 686. 
Inhabitants, 689. 
The Narrow Way, 689. 
The Way of Holiness, 689. 

Hell, 66S. 

Description of Lake of Fire, 

669. 
Eternal Torment, 675, 679. 
For Whom Prepared, 669. 
The Warning, 679. 
The Ways of Death, 676. 
Who are in Danger of 
Going There? 672. 
Who will go There? 670. 
Hypocrites, 672. 
Satan, 157. 

The Impenitent, 671. 
The Wicked, 670. 
Those Who Forget God. 
671. 

Heresies, 156. 

Holy Ghost, the, 40, 255, 276. 
An Object of Worship, 41. 
A Sanctifier, 263. 
Dispensation of, 492. 
His Personality, 41. 



His Powers, 42. 

His Work in Salvation, 42, 

242, 253. 
Living in Him, 255. 
Ministers Endued with, 304. 
One of the Trinity, 42. 
Works Ascribed to Him, 41. 

Home. 

Family Life, 440, 448, 466, 

601. 
Literature, 624. 
Personal Work to be Done 

There, 499. 

Hope, 482, 626. 
A Blessing to the Believer's 

Life, 637. 
Assurance of, 630. 
Christian Hope, 627. 
Hope and Faith, 628. 
Hope of the Church, 636. 
Possession of, 635. 
Realization of, 635. 

Humility, 245, 305, 604. 
Blessings of, 611. 
Christ Our Pattern in, 605^ 
Evidences of, 610. 
False Humility, 604. 
Godly Exaltation, 612. 
How Saints Obtain it, 608. 
How Saints Retain it, 609. 
Humility and Prayer, 614. 
Power of, 613. 
Self-humiliation, 230. 

Idolatry, 522. 

Influence, 348. 

Inheritance, 277. 

Irenaeus, 119, 124, 380. 

Jerome, 124. 

Josephus, 126, 369. 

Judgment, the, 232, 661, 666. 
A New Testament Doctrine, 

662. 
An Old Testament Doctrine, 

661. 
Reasonableness of, 663. 
The Judge, 663. 
The Judged, 664. 



SUBJECT INDEX 



697 



Justification, 233. 

Faith and Works, 22,7. 
Fruits of, 235. 
How Accomplished, 237. 
Nature and Prerequisites of, 
234. 

Justin Martyr, 124, 138. 

Licentiousness, 165, 443, 517. 

Life, 482. 

Life Insurance, 575. 
A Few Problems, 584. 
An Exposition of I Tim. 

5:8, 575. 
A Lottery, 578. 
Deception, 578. 
Encourages Unbelief, 579. 
Expensive Charity, 584. 
Promotes Family Troubles, 

582. 
Shortcomings of, 577. 
Unsound Investment, 583, 585 
Work of the Church, 576. 
Why Oppose It? 586. 

Lot, the, 320. 

Love, 255, 591. 

Conjugal Love, 591. 

Essential to Knowledge of 
God, 602. 

Greatness of, 598. 

Human and Divine Love, 
592. 

Love and Hatred, 593. 

Love Manifested, 595. 

Mutual Love, 348. 

Parental Love, 591. 

Power of, 598. 

Triumph of, 599. 

Whom to Love, 601. 

Work of, 600. 

Worldly and Christian Love, 
592. 
Loyalty, 349. 
Lying Wonders, 153. 

Man, 63. 

A Compound Being, 69. 
Bought with a Price, 203. 
Condition of Unsaved Man, 
197. 



Destiny of, 74. 

Fall of, 72, 153, 173, 184, 

268, 512. 
Free Agency, 67. 
His Origin, 62. 
His Relation to Sin, 175. 
Immortality, 66. 
In the Image of His Maker, 

64. 
Kingship, 65. 
Man in Eden, 70. 
Mission of, 74. 
Morality, 65. 
Relation between Man and 

Woman, 418, 423. 
Responsibility, 69, 172. 
Spirituality, 66. 

Marriage, 439. 
Divorce, 450. 

Entangling Alliances, 309. 
Family Life, 440, 448, 466, 

601. 
Mixed Marriages, 446. 
Our Responsibility, 453. 
Precepts, 454. 
Sacredness of, 444. 
The Betrothal, 441, 448. 
What Marriage is, 443. 
What Marriage is not, 441. 
Who should Consider It? 445. 
Why Instituted, 439. 

Matter, Origin of, 47- 

Millennium, 642, 654. 

Ministry, the, 302. 

Administering the Rites of 

the Church, 327. 
Against Stipulated Salary, 

330. 
Bishops, 312. 

Call— How Recognized, 318. 
Call to the Ministry, 316. 
Deacons, 314. 
Evangelists, 315. 
Ministers, 313, 33i, 338. 
Missionaries, 315. 
Pastors, 314, 310, 327- 
Preaching, 325. 
Preparation, 322. 
Purpose of, 302 
Qualifications, 304. 
Support of, 327, 343. 
Teachers, 309, 315- 



698 



BIBLE DOCTRINE 



Missions. 

City _ Missions, 345. 
Missionaries, 315. 
Mission Sunday Schools, 344. 
The Foreign Field, 345. 
World Evangelism, 601. 

Money, 330. 

Monism, 196. 

Monopoly, 513. 

Nonconformity to the World 

510. 
Appearance, 610. 
Appetites, 516. 
Bible Teachings on Dress, 

528. 
Brotherly Union, 525. 
Business, 512. 
Consistent Living, 524. 
Conversation, 515. 
Falsehood, 520. 
Idolatry, 522. 
Malice, 521. 

Nonconformity Pointers, 532. 
Passions, 517. 
Pleasure, 518. 
Politics, 515. 
Pride, 519. 
Simplicity, 611. 
Society, 514. 
Sound Teaching, 523. 
Spirit of Christ against 

Spirit of the Age. 

5ii. 
The Inspired Record, 510. 
The Transformed Life, 511. 
The Unequal Yoke, 527. 
The World-compromising 

Way, 678. 
"Unspotted from the World." 

526. 
Nonresistance. 535. 

Apostolic Teaching, 538. 
Blessings of Peace, 542. 
Christ Our Example, 535, 

545- 
Christ the Prince of Peace, 

. .538. 
Individual Nonresistance, 

543- 
Modern Peace Movements, 

540. 



Nonresistance in Action, 536. 

Old Testament Warriors, 
544- 

Power of Peace, 541. 

Practical Nonresistance, 549. 

The Foundation, 537. 

The "good man" Argument, 
547- 

The Nonresistant Nation, 
544. 

War the Work of Barbar- 
ians, 539. 

Weakness of Armed Re- 
sistance, 540. 

Obedience, 264, 288, 328, 437, 

459- 
Delegated Authority, 466, 

548. 
Its Importance, 460. 
Necessity of, 507. 
Partial Obedience, 463. 
Prerequisites of, 461. 
Results of, 468, 687. 
The Standard of, 459. 

Ordinances, 417, 426, 491. 

Origen, 124, 138, 380. 

Overcoming Life, 254. 

Patience, 611. 

Peace, 235, 535, 612. 

Personal Work, 494. 

Conditions for Effective 

Work, 497. 
Every Christian a Worker, 

496. 
How to Work, 503. 
Importance and Need of, 

494- 
Native Endowment, 496. 
Precepts for Workers, 508. 
When to Work, 499. 

Pliny, 138. 

Polycarp, 124. 

Prayer, 324, 328, 489. 
A Prayer Life, 498. 
Prayer and Humility, 614. 
Woman to Pray with Head 
Covered, 423. 



SUBJECT INDEX 



699 



Preaching, 303. 

Predestination, 68, 210. 

Propitiation, 205. 

Psalms, 489. 

Purity, 264, 268, 616, 685.' 
A Clean Life, 498. 
A Pure Conscience, 617. 
A Pure Mind, 619. 
How Promote the Cause of 

Purity, 623. 
Literature, 624. 
Pictures, 625. 
Pure Faith, 617. 
Pure Speech, 621. 
Purity of Conduct, 622, 624. 

Reconciliation, 201. 

Redemption, 183, 277. 

Erroneous Views of, 192. 

Extent of, 191. 

From What was Man Re- 
deemed, 185. 

No Second Chance after 
Death, 193. 

Results of, 189. 

Reformation, 249. 

Regeneration, 248. 

Eleven Birth Marks, 255. 
Heaven for the "Born 

Again," 687. 
How Accomplished, 253. 
The New Life, 482. 
What it is, 250. 
What it is Not, 249. 
Who Need Regeneration? 

256. 

Repentance, 224, 241, 287, 495. 
A venues of, 228. 
Elements of, 225. 
Fruits of, 230. 
Necessity of, 226. 
Free Requisites for, 225, 

Reputation, 305. 

Restitution, 231, 245. 

Resurrection, the, 654. 

A General Resurrection, 659. 



A New Testament Doctrine, 
656. 

An Old Testament Doctrine, 
655. 

Errors Noted, 657. 

Proofs of, 656. 

The Resurrection of Dam- 
nation, 660. 

The Resurrection of Life, 
660. 

Riches, 611. 

Righteousness, 240, 256. 
Results of, 688. 

Sabbath, the, 53, 129. 

Abolished in Christ, 132. 
How to be Kept, 139. 
Need for the Day, 129. 
Proof of Literal Days in 

Creation, 58. 
Some Questions Answered, 

141. 
The Christian Sabbath, 132. 
The Jewish Sabbath, 130. 
The Sabbath before Sinai, 

130. 
Why we Observe the First 

Day of the Week, 134. 

Sacrifices, 475, 477. 

Saints, 299, 407, 608, 690. 

Salvation, 

Awakened Interest in, 504. 
Burdened for, 498. 
Experimental Knowledge of, 
497, 507. 

Sanctification, 258. 
Agents of, 260. 
All Christians Sanctified, 265. 
Erroneous Views Explained, 

268. 
Kinds of, 260, 262. 
Manifestations of, 267. 
Means of, 262. 
Time of, 264. 
The Sinless Life, 256, 269, 

305- 
The Way of Holiness, 289. 

Satan, 145. 

Author of Evil, 148. 



700 



BIBLE DOCTRINE 



Doctrine Concerning, 99. 
His Destiny, 157. 
His Devices, 152. 
His Enmity, 151. 
His Personality, 147. 
Origin of, 145, 149. 
•Power and Influence, 150, 

154, 156, 166. 
The Tempter, 159. 

j 
Secret. Societies, 560. 

Foundation of the Lodge, 

561. 
Lodge and State, 571. 
Lodge Oaths, 565. 
Lodge Prayers, 567. 
Religious Views, 569, 573. 
Respect of Persons, 563, 

572. 
Secrecy, 562, 571, 573. 
The Church and the Lodge, 

570. 
The God of Secretism, 564. 

Self Denial, 470, 608. 

An Original Principle, 474. 

A Positive Course, 485. 

Apostolic Teachings, 471, 
481. 

Care of the Body, 484. 

Christ's Teachings, 478. 

Definition, 472. 

Embodied In Patriarched 
Government, 475. 

Errors Noted, 472. 

Fundamental Truth of God- 
liness, 473. 

Mortification, 169. 

Mosaical Teachings, 476. 

The New Life, 482. 

Things to be Denied, 483. 

Septuagint, the, 125. 

Sin, 170. 

A Bad List, 171. 
Cleansing From, 190. 
Confession of, 230, 243. 
Forgiveness of, 189. 
Its Effect Upon Man, 171, 

176. 
Knowledge of, 240. 
Man's Relation to, 175. 
None Without, 197. 
Opposing Sin, 474. 
Perpetuation of, 177. 
Punishment for, 178. 



Remission of, 219. 
Sin-sickness, 241. 
The Fact of, 172. 
The Guilt of, 178. 
The Power of, 186. 

Sunday, 135. 

Authorized Day of Rest in 
Present Dispensation, 
136. 

Communion Day of Aposto- 
lic Church, 136. 

Sunday Schools, 344. 

Swearing of Oaths, 550. 

Bible Teaching, 552. 

Christians Forbidden' to 
Swear, 571. 

Church Oaths, 551. 

Heathen Oaths, 551. 

Origin and Nature, 550. 

Profanity, 559. 

Secret Order Oaths, 551, 
565. 

The Oath and the Affirma- 
tion, 557. 

Syriac Version, 124, 136. 

Tabernacle, the, 476. 

1 
Temptation, 158. 

All are Subject to, 167. 

Avenues to the Soul, 162. 

Christ's Example, 161. 

Freedom from, 269. 

Jesus the Deliverer, 160. 

Origin of, 158. 

Overcoming Temptation, 166. 

Strength in Trial, 162. 

The Greatest Temptation, 
169. 

The Tempter's Power, 159. 

Tertullian, 124, 137, 381, 382. 

The Law, 

An Instrument of Conver- 
sion, 242. 
Curse of, 187, 197. 

Tobacco, 163. 517. 

Unbelief, 153. 

Unequal Yoke, the, 527. 
Marriage, 446. 



SUBJECT INDEX 



701 



Secretism, 570. 
Worldly Entanglements, 
310, 528. 

» 
Vanities, 513, 520, 610. 

Vulgate, 124. 

Worship, 473, 486. 

Definition, 487. 

Effect of the Doctrine of 
the Trinity Upon, 44. 

Man to Worship with Un- 
covered Head, 419,425 

Methods of, 493. 



New Testament Worship, 
491. 

Old Testament Worship. 
488. 

Requirements of True Wor- 
ship, 492. 

Sunday, a Day of Worship, 
139. 

Synagogue Worship, 491. 

Temple Worship, 489. 

Women to Worship with 
Head Covered, 419, 
425. 

Young People's Meetings, 344. 






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